Dragon Heart
by Death from Shadows
Summary: It's been five years and Natsu is finally returning home to his friends and the girl he loves, only to find that he is going to have to fight to win her heart. Story is set up in an AU with some other romances like GrayxJuvia and GajeelxLevy
1. Chapter 1

Perhaps it is childhood memories that are the most enjoyable things we cherish in our lives. They give us the chance to reflect back at a time when life was simpler, more unique and more special. A time when the world was open with unlimited adventures and one was only confided by the limits of imagination. A world in which was still innocent and the essence of reality was pure.

But what makes the memory significantly special isn't just the retention, but the people it is shared with. For one individual in particular there was one memory that he held dear to his heart. It was a day when he and his friends were visiting the beach as children. He remembered sitting there watching the sunset when it all began.

"Hey Natsu race ya to the top of the hill!" Gray, a young adolescent around the age of six yelled as he bolted past his friend. Gray was a unique child, with thick black hair that stood spiked around the crown of his head. He was an energetic child who never seemed comfortable wearing a shirt, even though they were at the beach that was no exception.

"No fair you got a head start!" Natsu, the spikey pink haired boy cried out as he followed suit. He was around the same age as Gray and for some reason they always found themselves competing against one another in almost everything they did.

The others stood there and watch as the two youngsters raced towards the hill. One was a young red headed girl who was no more than a year or two older than the boys. Another girl sat with her, only she had short bowl cut white hair. The tow of them looked at one another before deciding to follow their two friends.

"You're way to slow Natsu!" Gray taunted as he began to break away from his pursuer.

"No way Gray I'm going to catch you," Natsu called back.

"Na ah." Gray mocked. He had finally reached the base of the hill.

"See I'm catching up," Natsu practically cheered as he managed to gain some ground and was only a few steps behind his friend.

As they neared the summit of the steep hill Gray was still just a step ahead of Natsu. "First one to touch the tree at the top wins!" Gray shouted.

Natsu puffed forward as the tree came within just a couple of meters away. Natsu saw that Gray had his hand out reached, but Natsu was only a step behind him, yet his hand was still behind Gray's. In a last desperate attempt Natsu leapt forward to touch the tree, but fell a few centimeters short plunging face down into the sand as Gray reached out and touched the tree.

"Yes!" Gray cheered as he raised his arms in triumph. "I win Natsu!" Gray mocked his friend.

"Not fair you cheated," Natsu cried with a pout to which Gray returned with a laugh. Natsu picked himself up scolding his friend who continued to smirk at him with his arms crossed.

"Well Natsu looks like another race that I win," Gray taunted as he stretched his arms behind his back.

"It doesn't count if you cheat," Natsu mumbled.

"Ah Natsu don't be such a sore loser," Gray said, his smile still eminent on his face as he patted Natsu on the head.

"I would have won if you would've played fair," Natsu muttered as he turned away from Gray.

"Looks like those two are at it again," the red headed girl said with a sigh shaking her head.

"Poor Natsu," the white haired girl moaned, "he's going to go on a temper tantrum."

Natsu still stood with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face as Gray stood with a smile full of pride next to him. Natus's face still held an angry and disappointed glare as he watched the sunset.

For a while the two stood in silence until they heard a voice from behind them, "Um excuse me," the voice said as a hand reached out and touched Natsu's shoulder. Startled Natsu jumped around to see who was touching him, only to trip over his own feet.

"Ah," Natsu cried as he fell backwards, toppling down the side of the hill. He felt a cold chill as he found himself flat on his back in the ocean water.

When he sat back up he could hear Gray's maniacal laughter at the top of the hill. Embarrassed, and still a little dizzy Natsu turned to face Gray but was shocked to see that standing right over him was a little girl about his age. She was a small child, though not that much smaller than himself. She had semi-long blonde hair and stunning blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" the young girl asked as she extended her hand to help him up. Natsu didn't say anything he was still entranced in the girl's eyes. After a second or too he shook his head and reached out to grab the girl's hand as she helped lift him up onto his feet.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," Natsu, said with a reassuring grin. "Thank you."

"No problem," the girl said smiling sweetly. "My name's Lucy what's yours?"

"Huh? Uh, N-Natsu," he stuttered. He felt a little embarrassed as the young girl giggled.

"Nice to meet you Natsu," she said. "Sorry about startling you."

"I-I wasn't startled," Natsu said blushing. "I-I just lost my footing that's all!"

"Sure you did," he heard Gray call out as he jogged down the hill. Once he reached the bottom he turned to Lucy with an extended hand. "Hey I'm Gray."

"Nice to meet you Gray," Lucy said shaking his hand.

"So are you new here?" Gray asked.

"Yeah I haven't seen you around before," Natsu said eyeing her over making sure to give a thorough inspection.

"Yeah I am," Lucy said with a smiling nod. "I just moved here from Fiore."

"Fiore?" Natsu asked confused. "Where's that?"

"Dunno," Lucy shrugged. "But it's really far, like a thousand miles from here." She widened her hands apart as far as she could reach in order to emphasize her point.

"Wow," Natsu said stunned. "You really came from that far away?"

"Uh huh," Lucy nodded smiling.

"That's so cool," Natsu said gleaming. Lucy giggled at the fatuous look he had on his face.

"Hey!" The three children heard the red head girl shout. "What are you guys doing?"

"Hey," Natsu shouted back waving at the two girls. "Come on down and meet our new friend Lucy!"

"Nice to meet you," the white haired girl shouted back with a wave to them.

"Guys it's getting late we have to get going," the red head girl called out. "You can play with your new friend tomorrow."

"Okay," Gray said as he turned to run up the hill. "Oh by the way it was nice to meet you Lucy," Gray said before leaving.

"Yeah it was nice to meet you too Gray," Lucy said with a smile and a nod.

"Yeah it was a pleasure," Natsu said with a wide smile. Lucy returned the large smile with one of her own.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah I should be," Lucy answered with a nod.

"Natsu let's go," the red head shouted.

"I'm coming Erza," Natsu growled back. "Well I need to get going but it was nice to meet you."

"Natsu!"

"I'm coming!" Natsu yelled. "Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," Lucy said with a smile.

"See ya!" Natsu shouted as he waved back to her. Gray and the others waved casually with him as the group took their leave.

As the group began to walk down the hill Gray turned to Natsu with a large smirk on his face. "What's with you?" Natsu asked confused.

"You like Lucy," Gray said chuckling causing Natsu's face to turn a scarlet red.

"I do not," Natsu whined.

"Yes you do," Gray taunted as he poked Natsu in the chest. "You like Lucy, you like Lucy!"

"Quit it Gray," Natsu cried angrily.

"Gray stop it," Erza demanded. "Don't upset Natsu anymore than you already have."

"Yeah Gray leave Natsu alone," the white haired girl ordered.

"I'm just having a little fun with lover boy here," Gray laughed.

"Knock it off Gray!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Make me lover boy," Gray smirked only to be shoved by Natsu.

"I'm not a lover boy," Natsu whined. "Besides I don't even like girls, they have rabies!"

"I think you mean coodies Natsu," Gray said, his smile growing ever bigger.

"It's the same thing," Natsu mumbled folding his arms across his chest.

"Doesn't matter you still like Lucy!" Gray said laughing before running away at a now infuriated Natsu.

"Do not! Shut up Gray!" Natsu shouted as he began to chase after his friend.

"I swear those two," Erza sighed in annoyance.

"I don't know. I think it's kind of cute," the white haired girl said with a smile. The two girls watched as Natsu continued to chase Gray across the beach, yelling as he did so.

Meanwhile on the hill Lucy watched the small group of friends as the walked away. "Natsu hmm," she said to herself, a wide smile crossed her face as she did so.


	2. Chapter 2

The following day Natsu returned to the beach where he and Gray had met Lucy. Though this time he decided to go alone, without his friends. He hadn't told anyone that he was going since he wanted to meet with Lucy in private and alone without being disturbed by his friends, and to avoid any further taunting he knew Gray would give him.

Natsu had decided to go back to the hill and wait there to see if he could spot her. Though it was the summer and usually the beach would be crowded during the day, he figured that Lucy would most likely return to the spot where they had first met. The boardwalk next to the hill was busy with people coming to a fro from the beach. Most people stopped by the local shops to do whatever window-shopping caught their interest, while others convened at the nearby restaurants.

Natsu continued to watch the traffic eagerly awaiting for any sign of the young blonde girl. As time drew on he became more and more disheartened as there were no signs of any children along the beach, much less a little blonde girl.

"Maybe she isn't coming today," Natsu sighed as he sat down under the tree. As he sat there he decided to turn his attention to the ocean and see if maybe she was on the beach swimming. With any luck he might be able to spot her. Though he knew that it would very difficult to spot her out of the large crowd of beach dwellers and surfers.

As he gazed over the beach he saw someone off in the distance, standing in the water. It was a blonde girl, but he wasn't sure if it was Lucy. He stood up to see if he could get a better look when suddenly he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Ah," Natsu yelped as he found himself tripping over his feet, tumbling down the hill into the cold ocean water yet again. "Are you kidding me?" Natsu sighed as he sat up.

"Oh I'm sorry," he heard a youthful voice apologize gently. When Natsu looked up to see who it was who had startled him he saw the person he had been waiting for the entire time running down the hill towards him.

"Oh hey Lucy," Natsu tried to chuckle off, yet his face had turned crimson with embarrassment.

"Here let me help you," Lucy said offering him a hand.

"Thanks," Natus said, his face still red with embarrassment.

"Wow you get startled easily don't you?" Lucy giggled as she helped him out of the water.

"No I don't," Natsu pouted. "I just . . . tripped."

"Sure," Lucy giggled sarcastically.

Natsu just laughed with her, he didn't know what to say. He just loved the way she giggled. There was something pleasant about it, something that made him feel calm and happy. Her sweet smile lit up some fuzzy warm feeling deep down within his chest and he didn't know why, but he didn't care; he liked it.

"It's nice to see you again," Lucy said smiling sweetly at him, causing Natsu's already red face to turn an even deeper scarlet. He attempted to turn his face away from her charm, but he couldn't. He mesmerized by her deep coco colored eyes, her soft lips and rosy cheeks. She wore a light pink skirt with a white tank top, with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Y-y-yeah it's nice to see you again too," Natsu uttered.

"Come on," Lucy said grabbing Natsu's hand and running back up the hill.

"Ah where are we going?" Natsu stammered as Lucy tugged him behind her.

"Well you don't just want to stand around and do nothing do you?" Lucy said. "Come let's go have some fun!"  
>"Uh . . . Okay," Natsu said, his face beaming with glee as he followed her.<p>

It was from that moment on that he and Lucy became incredibly close. They did everything together, from traveling to the beach, to trick or treating to spending the winter holidays building snowmen. The two of them were inseparable and there was nothing that could tear them apart. But unfortunately sometimes good things must come to an end.

Several years had passed since that fateful day on the hill and now Natsu had grown up a little. He was no longer an adolescent child, but a strong looking ten year old.

He had just returned home from school when he discovered his father waiting for at the kitchen. His father was an elderly man with a mane of scarlet red hair and deep chocolate colored eyes. His skin was scaly and his face wrinkled with age. He was a tall and strong man with broad shoulders, none of which had been lost in his age. He had a stern look on his face as he peered over at his son.

The look in his father's eye told Natsu that there was something his father needed to tell him. His tired old eyes were grim as he beckoned his son to have a seat with him at the table. Natsu followed his father's gesture and sat down next to the old man.

"Natsu," the old man said in a gruff hoarse voice. His face was filled with gloom as he struggled to find the right way to address his son. "Natsu I have some unfortunate news." The sound of his voice made Natsu uneasy and the concerned look in his eyes only made it worse. "I got reassigned to a new location for work and we're going to have to move."

"What?" Natsu muttered, his heart sank as he heard his father's words. "What do you mean we're going to have to move?" Natsu quelled in anger.

"I'm sorry but I got reassigned," his father told him. "We move next week."

"What? How?" Natsu shouted as he stood up knocking his chair backwards. "How can we move? All my friends are here! Gray, Erza, Lisanna . . . Lucy . . ." Natsu yelled in frustration. He was on the verge of tears, his father's look still grim but unchanging.

"Natsu I understand but it's something we're going to have to do," his father sighed.

"Damn it!" Natsu hissed. "Damn it you expect me to just accept that?"

"Yes," his father answered hoarsely.

"Well I can't!" Natsu cried. "How can you expect me to just accept that we're moving? That I'll never see my friends again!"

"Natsu," his father hissed, "you're acting like a child."

"Well how do you expect me to act Igneel?" Natsu cried.

"That's ENOUGH NATSU!" Igneel roared; the sudden shout caused Natsu to freeze in place, horrified at his father's sudden outburst. "That's part of life Natsu. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to. I don't want to move either but unfortunately that's what's happening. Get over it."

"Fuck this," Natsu cried. "Fuck this and fuck you!" Natsu shouted before storming out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

"Ah Natsu," Igneel sighed shaking his head. "Sometimes I forget that you're still so young."

Natsu ran as fast as he could. He didn't know where, but he wanted to get away. He couldn't stand to see his father telling him he had to leave: to leave his home, his friends, to leave Lucy. He couldn't bear it. His stomach burned as he felt nauseated, Lucy's image constantly flashing in his mind. How would he tell her? How could he tell her? She was his best friend, she was the one person apart from his father he cared the most for in the world.

He ran down the street shoving his way through people if he had to. Tears poured from his eyes. Finally he came upon a familiar sight, the hill by the beach. He didn't know why or how, but he was drawn to it, like it was calling out to him as somewhere he could be alone and forget his troubles.

When he finally reached the hill he sat down sobbing all the while. "Stupid Igneel," he said with a sniff. "Why does he have to make us move? I don't want to move. I want to stay here."

He didn't know how long he sat there and he didn't care. He didn't want to return home, he didn't want to see his father. The nausea in his stomach still hadn't reseeded and his tears all but dry now. When suddenly he felt a small hand grasp his shoulder. He jumped in surprise, but breathed a sign of relief when he saw Lucy standing right behind him.

Like Natsu she had grow as well, but she still retained the innocent smile of youth. He still loved those chocolate eyes of her, somehow he felt at home whenever he peered into them.

"Are you okay Natsu?" Lucy asked concerned.

"Of course," Natsu sniffed rubbing his nose. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I spoke to your dad," Lucy said, "he told me that you were upset about something."

"Yeah," Natsu sighed. "Yeah he said we have to move."

"Oh," Lucy sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah I am too," Natsu said. He couldn't even bear to look at her. He felt so upset and seeing her there now only seemed to make it worse. He didn't know what the say. Of course he was happy to see her; he wanted to see her, yet at the same time seeing her only made him feel worse.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucy asked.

"No," Natsu whispered. "No I just . . . I just want to be alone. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Lucy said a little taken back by his answer. "Oh okay. Well I guess I'll see you later?"  
>"Yeah," Natsu sighed. "Yeah I'll see you later." As he said that he took his leave. He didn't know why but he wanted to escape. He struggled, he wanted her to be there and yet he wanted to be left alone. He wanted to see her, and yet every time he saw her he felt even more and more depressed. He didn't know what to do. And than after that he just left. He left her standing there, and as he walked away he knew deep down that he had just made a mistake that we would never forget, a mistake that he would always regret.<p>

A week later Natsu found himself inside a moving truck with his father. The movers had just packed all their possessions and were prepared to depart. Natsu hadn't seen Lucy since that one last time they were on the hill together. He never even got the chance to say goodbye.

"All right Natsu are you ready?" Igneel asked him as he put the truck into drive.

"No," Natsu answered, his voice soft and regretful. Igneel stared him over, his face full of concern. "Listen Natsu," Igneel began. "I know this is tough but you're going to meet new people and start a new life. Knowing you, you'll be able to make friends in no time at all."

"None like her," Natsu sighed as his father began to drive the truck. As they pulled out of the drive way and down the street Natsu caught a sight in the side view mirror. When he turned to see what it was he saw Lucy standing in the background, waving goodbye to him. Just before he could wave back at her she disappeared from view, as the truck turned a corner.

Even though the truck continued to drive away Natsu still watched, keeping his eyes focused on the street behind him, yet he saw nothing behind him.

A/N: Okay thanks guys for putting up with the prologue. sorry it's taking awhile to get into the actual story itself here. But I like give my thanks to all those who have reviewed this story and those who added it to their favorites. Thank you.

**Please review. I want to know if it's going to slow, too fast. **

**I want to hear what YOU the readers think.**


	3. Chapter 3

Five years had passed since Natsu and his father had moved. In those five years Natsu attempted to create new friendships, and establish new relationships. Though he made a few friends he never seemed to fit in with any of them. As days passed Natsu found himself more of a loner, never being able to find a click that he felt comfortable enough with. Igneel had been busy with work that he had little time to spend with his son. For those five years Natsu felt truly alone.

Natsu was torn he didn't know whether or not to be angry with Igneel for making him move, or if it was because he desperately missed his friends and wanted nothing more than to see them again. But most of all he wanted to see Lucy again. He missed that sweet innocent smile of hers that used to light up his heart every time he saw it. He missed those deep chocolate eyes that always made him feel delighted.

Though being alone wasn't the worse of Natsu's troubles. Though he didn't seem to get along with many of his classmates, he would always find himself getting into fights. He didn't know why or how, but he was always getting into scuffles with other boys for no reason.

Igneel attempted to lecture Natsu about how he needed to cease these fighting habits, yet to no avail. Even though Igneel never liked the idea of Natsu getting into brawls, he was more understanding. For Igneel he saw the fighting as Natsu's way of lashing out at the world. Whether or not it was because he was lonely, or that he just didn't seem to want to get along with anyone else. It didn't take much for Natsu to start a fight since it was him who mostly started them. The more serious problem with the conflicts was that Natsu wouldn't be fighting one on one fights, but constantly found himself in skirmishes with multiple boys at the same time. Though Igneel would never say it, and knew that as a parent he wasn't suppose to show it, but he felt somewhat proud when the principal would tell him how Natsu beat up multiple children at once.

Igneel didn't know what to do with his son. Natsu always promised that he would stop getting into fights, but he would be lucky if Natsu only went a few days without one. Igneel thought it best if Natsu took martial arts classes as an attempt to quale his lust for violence, but unfortunately all it did was make him a better fighter when the conflicts did arrive.

The school constantly complained saying that they would not tolerate Natsu's behavior, yet the never did anything about it. And as time went on Igneel was forced to drop Natsu from his martial arts class since the children's parents no longer complained about a few bruises, but full broken noses black eyes their children received.

Perhaps it was just his nature, after all he and Gray use to fight all the time when they were kids, but that was for fun. What Natsu was doing now was out of aggression and maybe some discipline was needed to stop it. However, Natsu soon found that another school year was ending and he would be preparing to go off to high school. Igneel was even more worried that this would be the time when the schools would be more serious about Natsu's fighting and his son would find himself in serious trouble. Igneel knew he had to do something for Natsu, something that he knew would benefit Natsu's problem.

It was the middle of the summer and Natsu embraced the season with an open heart. Not only was he out of the prison that he called school, but he was finally free to spend more time with his father. Though many days he was bored since he found himself with little to do, but on one particular day he discovered that his summer was going to get that much better.

One day Natsu had returned home to find Igneel sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him. His face was serious and had a very similar look to the one Natsu saw just five years ago. Natsu half expected some dire news, because Igneel would never have such a grave face unless it was something bad.

"Hey dad," Natsu greeted the old man.

"Natsu come here," Igneel said beckoning his son to sit down.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked as he took a seat across from his father.

"Natsu," Igneel began, "I'm afraid that my job has called for us to move again."

"Oh?" Natsu said unemotionally. In fact he didn't know what to feel. He didn't mind moving again, he really hated where they were living now, and perhaps if they moved again he would get a chance at a fresh start.

"But I've been thinking about it for awhile now," Igneel continued, his voice was hoarse and stale. "You're about to enter high school now and I know that you've wanted to go back to Magnolia ever since we left five years ago." Natsu watched his father carefully, eager to hear what he was about to say. He was surprised that his father had just brought up Magnolia, but he didn't care he was begging that his father would say what hoped he would say. "If you still want to go back than I can arrange for you to attend school in Magnolia next school year."

"YES!" Natsu's beamed with joy as he heard the news. His father chucked as he watched his son jump with happiness, knocking over his chair.

"That doesn't mean we're moving back to Magnolia," Igneel stated, his voice serious. Natsu stopped celebrating, a little taken back by his father's word.

"We're not moving back to Magnolia?" Natsu asked a little confused.

"I never said we were," Igneel answered. "I only said that I could arrange for you to go to school in Magnolia."

"What?" Natsu asked puzzled.

"I'm not moving to Magnolia Natsu, I'm moving somewhere else. I was wondering if you wanted to go to school in Magnolia so I could sign you up," Igneel explained. "I talked it over with the principal over at Magnolia Academy and he said that he was more than happy to let you in even without taking a test."

"But—"

"The principal is an old friend of mine he said that in certain circumstances it's possible for students to be accepted to the school without taking the entrance exam so you'll be fine. Just don't mess up your grades while you're there. They're already doing us a big a favor by accepting you despite your history of violence."

"But where will I live?" Natsu asked concerned.

"The school has dorms so you'll be living there during the school year," Igneel told him. "So judging by your response I should make the call and confirm that you'll be attending Magnolia Academy next year?"

"Hell yeah!" Natsu said determined.

Igneel smiled at him as he stood up. "All right then I'm going to go make the call right now."

"And I'll go get packed!" Natsu yelled as he sprinted towards his room.

"Natsu you still have a couple months before the school year starts!"

For Natsu those months seemed to take forever to come and go, but come and go they did. He soon found himself in the car with his father driving back to the place he had left behind no more than five years ago. He was so excited that he continued to twitch the whole time.

Though it was not his style Natsu wore his school uniform as he was supposed to. His uniform was comprised of a white dress shirt with a black and blue spiral tie with the school's insignia at the end. He wore a match dark blue jacket and pants, with a black belt. Though his father advised him to keep his hair neat and clean that was the one thing he wouldn't change; he would always keep his hair spikey.

Soon Natsu found himself back in his hometown, and many things have changed. The beach was still lively with the boardwalk packed with people. The streets were still lined with numerous cafés and shops, with some people sitting outside to enjoy the bright sunny day or walking to wherever they were heading. Though the city was very urban there were still palm trees planted on the side walk to help shade the park cars and to add onto the beauty of the beach side town.

"This place hasn't seemed to have changed at all," Natsu said out loud to himself. "Sure does feel nice to be home."

"Yeah," Igneel said, though not really paying attention. As the two drove further and further down the street, Natsu reminisced about the times he spent there as a child. Needless to say Lucy was in pretty much every single one of them. He remembered a time when he was sick and Lucy had brought him home a giant lollipop from the beach.

Eventually Igneel came to a stop in grassy null within a couple of shops and parked the car in the parking lot just outside of it. Natsu turned to his father and was a little confused.

"Why'd we stop?" Natsu asked.

"Cause this is as far as we can go," Igneel said as he put the car in park.

"Okay," Natsu said as he opened the car door.

"Listen Natsu," Igneel said stopping him right before he was about to step out.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked, a little confused and annoyed. He was far too eager to get settled in school and hopefully find a way to reconnect with his old friends.

"This is a highly respectable school," Igneel began, a serious look in his eye, "can you try your best to avoid getting into any fights while you're here?"

"Yeah sure," Natsu said as he immediately took the opportunity to leave the car.

"Natsu," his father called after, causing him to return to his seat.

"What?" Natsu groaned as he sat back down. Igneel hesitated for a second, taking one last glance at his son before reaching under his seat and pulling out a neatly giftwrapped box. He held it in his hands before finally handing it over to his son.

"What is it?" Natsu asked as he took the box.

"Open it," Igneel said as Natsu complied. When Natsu opened it he pulled out a faded whitish scarf with black lines as the decor.

"A scarf?" Natsu asked a little confused. "But dad it's still the summer."

His dad just gave him a smile. "It's not just a scarf," he said. "This scarf has been in our family for many years. It was a gift from my father to me before he died, and before that it was a gift to him by his father. I guess you can say it's kind of like a family heirloom."  
>Natsu turned the scarf over examining the whole thing. He admired the old piece of fabric, but hearing just how important it was to his father only made him cherish it even more. He never knew that there was something that Igneel truly cared about, but seeing this old rag somehow lit up his heart.<p>

"I know it isn't something fancy and that it's pretty worn out, but I was looking for the right time to pass this thing down to you, and well" Igneel shrugged as he spoke, "I guess now is as good a time as any. You take good care of it."

"I will," Natsu said, a wide smile spread on his face as he put it on.

"Well you don't have to put it on now," Igneel laughed as he saw Natsu's goofy smile. Somehow the old man felt proud, and truly delighted to see his son not only wearing the old thing, but how much he truly loved having it.

"It doesn't matter," Natsu said shaking off the comment. "How do I look?"  
>"Like an idiot," the old man mocked.<p>

"But a good looking idiot," Natsu said with a wide smile. Igneel just laughed at his son. He couldn't lie, Natsu was right.

"Well come on now," Igneel said as he stepped out of the car. "No more time for chit chat you have to get going to school."

"Where's it at?" Natsu asked.

"You see those ivory gates?" Igneel said pointing at the other end.

"Yeah?"  
>"That's the entrance."<p>

"Oh okay," Natsu said as he grabbed his bag from the back seat of the car. "Thanks dad," Natsu said as he gave his old man a hug goodbye.

"Take care Natsu," Igneel said as he returned the hug to his son. "Just remember, no fighting."

"Got ya," Natsu yelled as he began his decent across the grassy null. His father stood by and watched him until he finally reached the gates. When he saw his son pass the threshold he turned back to his car and drove away.

"All right let's do this," Natsu said as he entered the school ground.

The school was more massive than Natsu had predicted. The main building stood at least five stories tall with the center tower over shadowing the whole grounds. A large copper clock rested at the top. The school was like a castle made up of a variation of gray lime stone and ivory. Vast rows of windows lined the surface along with shrugs and trees. There was one direct pathway leading up to the school made of cobblestone and concrete, everywhere else was neatly cut grass with tree scattered around the yard. On either side of the main building were two similar in structure, but vastly smaller buildings. The pathway was split in the three directions each one leading to each building, and in the middle was a large circle with the school's insignia etched in with different colored cobblestone.

All across the field Natsu saw students running around, or just sitting down enjoying the company of friends and doing homework. Everyone was dressed in similar uniforms, but for the girls instead of dress pants they wore skirts. The campus seemed lively and with the clear blue skies and the smell of fresh cut grass there didn't seem like there was a better place for Natsu to be that day.

He knew that he was suppose to check in at the main office to get his dorm room assignment and his class schedule, so he figured he would head there first and than go to his dorm to unpack.

As he walked down the pathway he saw different groups of friends hanging out and enjoying the day. Classes hadn't started yet, but many of them were still getting situated to the new year and just enjoying the time they had before the school year began. When he came within distance of the school he noticed that a large concrete semi circle surrounding the main entrance. There were benches where other students sat eating and reading books, or just spending time with one another.

As he approached the main door he saw one group of kids in particular standing just outside the entrance. It was a small group and one of the boys standing there looked very familiar. He had long spikey black hair, and a gold necklace dangling around his neck. His un-tucked shirt was a mess and his tie sagged around his bosom. Natsu stared at the boy for a little while longer. "Gray?" Natsu said out loud. The boy stopped talking as he looked around for the source of whoever said his name.

"Holy shit Gray?" Natsu said, shocked that it was his old time friend. The boy turned to face him, his face a little confused until he finally recognized the pink haired boy with such a goofy smile on his face.

"Natsu?" Gray said laughing out loud as he saw him. "Holy shit Natsu!"

"What's up?" Natsu said as he ran towards his old friend.

"I can't believe it," Gray said as hugged him. "How long has it been?"

"Too long," Natsu replied as he broke the hug. "How have you been?"

"Well I've been all right I guess. It's been so long! How have you been?"

"Just glad to be home," Natsu said smiling. "How has everyone else been?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself," Gray said as he turned Natsu back over to the group. The rest of the people were still talking amongst their own group and didn't even notice that Gray had left.

Natus eyes widened with shock when he noticed that one of the people in the group was a young girl with long golden hair that fell down below her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep chocolate color. She was laughing with her friends, as her sweet smile seemed to light up the world. Natsu felt his heart stop as he saw her.

"Lucy?" he managed to stutter. The girl turned to him when she heard her name. She stared at him for a couple of seconds, Natsu was still frozen in place, unable to move or to even breathe as their eyes made contact. He was still lost deep in hers. Her eyes were still so comforting and he once again found himself lost within them.

"Natsu?" the girl as asked as she squinted to get a better look. After a couple of seconds she went wide-eyed as she lunged towards him, her arms spread out as she gave him a hug upon impact.

Natsu was still frozen in place, to him it seemed like the world had stopped. His heart wouldn't stop racing as the blood in his body began to boil at her touch. He had always had some feelings for Lucy, but nothing like this. Her fragrance invigorated him as he searched for something to say to her. It was like everything around him disappeared as he could only feel her warm embrace, her hug touching him. It was something that he wanted to feel now for so many years, something he truly yearned for and now that it was here he didn't know what to do.

'What is this feeling?' Natsu thought to himself. He didn't want her to let go, and he didn't want to let go of her. He wanted to stay in this serene moment for as long as he could, but unfortunately something or someone had to ruin it.

"So who's this?" Natsu heard a voice ask. Lucy immediately let go as she turned to face the source of the voice. A tall man, probably a year older than Natsu approached. He had neat cut dark hair, cerulean eyes and glasses. He was lanky yet still looked somewhat muscular under the school uniform.

"Oh Sean," Lucy said a little surprised. Her face grew slightly pink with embarrassment as she ran her hand through her hair. "This is Natsu . . . he's an old friend."

Natsu on the other hand was still in shock. He couldn't believe that Lucy was standing right there in front of him, and even more so that he had just been hugged by her. The girl he had been so eager to see for over five years was here at the same high school he was attending.

'Holy shit she just hugged me,' Natsu thought to himself. 'Than this douche had to ruin it! Wait a minute . . . who is this douche?'

"Well aren't you going to introduce me?" Sean asked sweetly as Lucy eyes widened at the question.

"Oh yeah," Lucy said. "Sean this is Natsu. Natsu this is Sean."

"Nice to meet you," Sean said reaching out his hand.

'Nice to meet you too douchebag' Natsu thought. "Nice to meet you too," Natsu said out loud as he shook Sean's hand.

"Yeah Sean here is Lucy's boyfriend," Gray told him.

"Boyfriend!" Natsu exclaimed. His heart sank and his blood turned to ice. It was as though he had lost all feeling in his body at those words.

"Yep," Sean said as he wrapped his arm around Lucy's shoulder, giving her a kiss on the cheek. The mere sight of which made Natsu sick to his stomach. "By the way Lucy we have to get going but it was nice to meet you Natsu."

"Yeah . . . you too," Natsu struggled to utter the words.

"See ya Natsu," Lucy said as she gave him a hug good bye. Than she and Sean walked away and disappeared into the crowd of other students.

'Boyfriend?' Natsu thought again to himself. 'God damn it!'

**A/N: All right finally done with the prologue. Thanks for putting up with it. Again first and foremost thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to their favorites. You guys don't know how much I appreciate it. Please leave more reviews to let me know what you think. If you leave nothing than I won't know whether or not you're actually enjoying the story, or where it needs improvement. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Again thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to their favorites. I wish to express my gratitude to each and every one of you. Sorry if I didn't send personal messages to you guys, but to each and every one of you I say THANK YOU!**

**Now I know some of you were wondering why I chose to use an OC instead of making Loke Lucy's boyfriend. Though this was my original intent, I changed it at the last second when I was actually writing the story. You'll see as the story progresses why I chose to take this route instead. Now I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story as much as I enjoy your comments.**

'Boyfriend,' Natsu thought to himself again. The mere mention of the word was devastating. He continued to stare off in the direction that Lucy and Sean had disappeared off to.

"Hey Natsu?" Gray said, attempting to break him of his silence. But Natsu did not respond, he couldn't hear him. Over and over he heard those words echo in the depths of his mind. Boyfriend. He had never truly hated anything, but now all he did was despise that singular word.

Natsu continued to stare off until finally his concentration was broken by a heavy shove from the back. "Watch it," he heard a harsh voice gruff as a figure moved past him.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted. "Watch where you're going you jerk!"

"What was that?" the brusque voice said again as the man who had shoved Natsu turned to face him. He was a tall boy, with long spikey black hair. His eyes were dark and threatening. He had three piercings in each ear and a couple under his jet black eye brows. His face was grim and his expression somewhat agitated. He carried a large duffle bag around his shoulder, while his school uniform was a mess. The tie half knotted with most of it dangling awkwardly around his chest, his jacket sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and the rest of his attire sagged on his body.

"I said watch where you're going jerk," Natsu growled. Gray was a little taken back by the aggression Natsu was showing.

"Well maybe you shouldn't be standing there gawking like an idiot," the other boy growled back.

"Yeah," Natsu hissed, "yeah well maybe all that metal got in your eye sight, or are you just too stupid to see someone obviously standing around."

"What'd you call me Pinky?" the other boy snarled, his eyes leering over Natsu. Gray watched a little concerned as Natsu returned the same expression, only his was more threatening than before.

"I called you an idiot, but judging by the way you're dressed I wouldn't know if you were an actual student here or just some homeless jackass that decided to wonder in on campus," Natsu growled. It was now that Gray had become concerned, grabbing his friend by the shoulder to restrain him from causing a fight. Natsu just shook him off and returned his attention to the other boy.

"Well aren't you clever," the other boy said. "Trust me kid you don't want any of what I am," he said gesturing to himself with his thumb.

"Natsu don't" Gray warned.

"Whoa is this actually happening right now? Cause I really hope it is," Natsu said, a smile began to cross his face.

"Natsu don't do anything stupid," Gray warned.

"Don't worry Gray," Natsu assured him, "the only thing stupid here is metal mouth over there."

"You wanna go?" the other boy said as he tossed his duffle bag to the ground. At that moment everyone in the area went silent as they turned their attention to quarrel taking place. Some people even began to crowd around the two, eager to see just how far it was going to escalate.

"Seriously Natsu don't do this," Gray continued to warn his friend.

"Stay out of this Gray," Natsu ordered tossing his duffle bag to the side as well. He prepared himself as the other boy began to take a couple of steps toward him. Natsu took a couple of steps forward as well.

"You moron," Gray sighed in defeat.

"Well Pinky I'll give you one last chance to back if you want," the black hair boy warned as he grinned down at Natsu. He was about a head taller than Natsu as he leered down at the smaller boy. He had a wide, malevolent grin on his face, and an eager look in his eye. He was definitely older than Natsu, but it was uncertain just how much. He was overall bigger, but that still didn't deter the smaller pink haired boy from standing his ground, unmoving and fully devoted to whatever was about to come.

"Oh please," Natsu snickered, "like you got anything on me."

With that the black haired boy reached his arm back in an attempt to punch Natsu, but was quickly met with a kick to the gut from Natsu. He was a little shocked at the rapid strike Natsu dealt him. Before he even had a chance to regroup himself he was met with another blow, only this time it was punch to his cheek toppling him over to the ground.

Natsu grinned as he went for a kick, but his foot was met with a forearm and a punch to the thigh. A roaring pain seared through his leg as he clenched the spot where the black haired boy had struck him. While his guard was down the other boy picked himself up and with a jolt struck Natsu on the chin with his foot. The force of the blow knocked Natsu off his feet as he was hurtled backwards, landing roughly on his back. He groaned in pain as his vision grayed out. When he came to he saw a massive foot plunging down towards his stomach. He couldn't avoid it in time as he felt the massive impact radiate through his lower abdomen. The black haired boy raised his foot for a second blow; Natsu took the opportunity to use his own legs and trip the other boy. As the black hair boy fell, Natsu quickly pick himself up, yet his opponent was able to catch himself just before he hit the ground.

Now the two found themselves face to face once again. Right before either one of them made another move they heard the voice of a young girl call out.

"What's going on here?" the voice demanded. Natsu and the black haired boy just ignored it, as crowd erupted in whispers. The sudden noise of everyone chatting confused the two fighters as they momentarily stopped their brawl to see what was going on that distracted people from their fight.

"I said 'what is going on here?'" the voice yelled again as a scarlet red haired girl appeared on the scene. Her arms were crossed and her face serious. She wore the school uniform neatly and professionally. Her shirt and skirt were tidily pressed with a school insignia pin perched just above her left bosom. The crowed went silent as she glared through each and every one of them. They went silent as no one attempted to look her in the eye. Natsu and the black haired boy stared at her as her attention immediately fell on them.

"Who's this bitch?" the black haired boy scuffed as he turned back to Natsu, fist raised high.

"Oh so you're the ones causing all the trouble here huh," she growled as she approached the two, her arms still crossed, her eyes glaring at them.

"Pfft," the black haired boy scoffed. "Yeah what's it to you?"

Natsu stood there gaping at her. "Erza?" he said out loud to himself, a little more frightened now.

"Oh yeah it's something to me," Erza snarled as she leered at the other boy.

"Oh and what are you going to do about it little lady?" the other boy said shamelessly as he turned over to her. He was tall, and he attempted to make his presence known to her as he stood over her. Erza continued to hold her glare to him, her person unmoving.

"You know what I'm going to do?" Eraz said a smile creeping on her face.

"What?"

"This," she said blatantly as she kicked him square in the groin.

"AH!" the black haired boy yelped as he collapsed to the ground in pain. Erza stood over him, her expression still serious.

"And you!" she turned her attention to Natsu who shielded his precious area with his hands. "Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize him Erza?" Gray asked. Erza turned her glare over to him, as Gray replied in the same fashion as Natsu. "Sorry."

"I'll ask you again who are you?" Erza ordered.

"Hey Erza," Natsu squeaked as he gave her a half shaky wave. Erza continued to hold her glare on him as he attempted to smile at her. "It's me . . . Natsu."

"Natsu?" Erza asked bewilder. Her glare turned into a surprised shock. Natsu still held his half attempted smile, trying to hide his fear but not doing to well about it. "NATSU!" Erza shouted as she sprinted towards him and wrapped him up in a great big hug. "It's so good to see you." Everyone in the crowd's face went blank as they saw Erza embrace the pink haired boy.

"What the hell?" the black haired boy moaned. "He get's a hug and I get a kick to the groin?"

"No," Erza said sweetly as she pulled away from Natsu. She had a friendly smile on her face. "He gets a hug _**and**_ a knee to the groin."

"Wha—" Natsu tried to mutter only to be cut off by a burning pain radiating through his private parts. "What the hell?" Natsu squeaked as he toppled over to the ground.

"That's for causing such a riot," Erza said sternly.

"Oh god," Natsu moaned lying on the ground.

"Now that you two have nicely decided to stop fighting I think everyone can be on their way," Erza said addressing the crowd. They all obliged to her word and began to leave. "Okay let's hear it," she demanded. "Who started the fight?"

Natsu and the other boy turned to look at each other, but neither one of them was going to say anything. Erza darted her gaze back and forth between the two waiting for a response. When she realized she wasn't going to get one she just sighed and walked over to Gray, the only bystander who hadn't left the scene just yet.

"Gray," Erza said sternly to him, "who was it that started the fight?"

"Uh," Gray hesitated, frightened by Erza's threatening glare. "No one really started it. It just happened."

"I see," Erza sighed as she turned back to the other two. "Natsu I'm very disappointed in you. Getting into fights at school when classes haven't even started yet. And even more so that after five years this is how you choose to have our reunion!"

"Oh yeah," Natsu groaned gripping his private area still. "You must be devastated on how this whole thing turned out."

"You're still as pitiful as ever," Erza sighed again. "So I take it that you'll be attending the Academy this year?"

"Something like that," Natsu scuffed as he finally managed to sit himself up.

"Well I hope you know that fighting is forbidden on school grounds," Erza spat at him. "And that it's punishable by _**explosion**_!"

"Oh," Natsu said with an uneasy chuckle, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"But since school hasn't 'officially' started yet, I guess I can let you and shit for brains over there off with a warning."

"Oh," Natsu said stunned. "Well thanks Erza."

"This will be your one and only warning!" Erza yelled at him, her voice serious. "Just be thankful that one of your friends is a prefect here and can bend the rules for you."

"Uh . . . thanks?" Natsu answered.

"Well have you signed in and gotten your dorm room yet?" Erza asked as Natsu and the black haired boy finally managed to stand up.

"No I was on my way there until I ran into metal mouth over there," Natsu hissed as he leered over to the black haired boy.

"Oh yeah you want some more?" the black haired growled.

"Bring it on!" Natsu challenged.

"Eh-hem," Erza cleared her throat as she glared at the two of them. They immediately stopped and grabbed their privates. "Oh god," Erza laughed as she face palmed herself.

"Well come on let's go the office and get you two signed up already," Erza said as she led the way. Natsu and the black haired boy glared at each other, and hesitated to follow her. It wasn't until Erza turned back to them with her menacing stare that they complied with her order. "You too Gray," Erza told him as they began to walk towards to main door.

"What?" Gray asked puzzled. "Why me?"

"Because while these two were busy making asses of themselves you stood by and did nothing," Erza said.

"I tried to stop them!" Gray sputtered. "Natsu tell her."

"Oh he was telling me to go in there and kick metal mouth's ass," Natsu snickered.

"Natsu!" Gray pleaded.

"Sorry dude but if I'm going down I'm taking you with me."

"You suck!"

"Hey stop your bitching," the black haired boy snapped.

"You shut up," Erza snapped at the black haired boy. "And Gray I take it you haven't signed in for your dorm room and class schedule either?"

"Well . . . no not exactly," Gray said nervously.

"Good than you can get situated too," Erza told him before turning back around and walking towards the school entrance. Natsu and the black haired boy picked up their bags before following her. Gray on the other hand didn't have any luggage with him, so he just walked behind Erza with Natsu and the black hair boy on either side of him. "Oh before I forget what was your name?" Erza asked, suddenly realizing she never actually learned the black haired boy's name.

"Gajeel," he answered. "My name is Gajeel."

"Well Gajeel," Erza said as the group made their way to a large oak door that was the entrance to the school. Once they passed through the threshold they entered a vastly enormous building with marble tile and gray stonewalls. On either side were hallways that led to classrooms and the school lockers. Situated on the other side of the entrance was a large polished wooden staircase that half way up diverted to each side. In the middle of the fork inscribed in brass over the polished oak was the school's insignia as well as its motto.

Natsu and Gajeel stopped for a moment to admire the building. It was so huge. Natsu stared at the giant chandeliers that lit up the ceiling of the building. Though they were over five stories in the air, their light was bright enough to light up the entire lobby of the school. Many students were standing around talking and looking over the various bulletins that were posted on the walls.

Erza led the three boys to the main staircase. Just above it resided the school's main office where the new students were suppose to sign in and get their dorm rooms. When the group arrived at the top Natsu noticed that there was no line, the sight of which confused Natsu.

"He Erza why isn't there a line?" Natsu asked.

"Because only about half of the new students have signed in. There's still a couple of days left and most students don't really come in till last minute," she answered.

At the top of the stairs on the second story there was a gapping hole in the wall just in front of the staircase. In side was a long wooden counter with an elderly woman standing on the other side. The room was completely made of wood, from the floor, to the furniture, even the walls and ceiling were comprised of it.

"Hello Ms. Grandine," Erza greeted with a sweet smile. "I have some new students that need to get checked in."

"Great, more of you little bastards," the elderly woman scoffed. She was definitely elderly, her hair was a very faint pink, but was slowly graying out. Her skin was wrinkled and pale, with some liver spots on her face. Her eyes were cold and dark, unwelcoming to those who peered inside of them. She wore a red business dress and stood somewhat crooked.

"Well aren't you the ray of sunshine," Gajeel sneered.

"Erza will you hit that young man in the genitals for me?" Ms. Grandine asked.

"Sure," Erza obeyed. Gajeel immediately backed away from her and protected himself with his hands.

"It was just a joke Erza," the old woman said, though there was no humor in her voice. "So now that we have Mr. Smartmouth there content than maybe we can get your names and have you logged in."

"Very well, but I have something I need to discuss with you first," Erza said. "Can you please leave while I talk to her for a second?"

"All right," Natsu and the others complied with her demand as they exited out into the hallway. The three of them stood outside in the hall waiting for Erza to come back and retrieve them. Gajeel leaned up against the wall, not wanting to talk to anyone. Natsu and Gray leaned over the railing watching the other students.

"So who else is here?" Natsu asked Gray.

"Huh?" Gray asked he wasn't really paying attention. "Oh. Let's see Lisanna is here, and so are her brother and sister. Mirjane is also a prefect like Erza is, but she isn't as cruel. Loke is here too."

Natsu shook his head as he tried to remember the faces of his old friends, yet since it had been five years since he's seen any of them he could only imagine them as they were as children. He was wondering what they looked like now. They obviously grown since the last time he saw them, he just wondered how much they had changed. Gray looked the same as he did when they were kids, but older, and so did Erza. It was so uncanny.

The three of them waited for a while until Erza finally came back for them. "All right," she said as she motioned for them to follow her. They followed her back into the office where Ms. Grandine was waiting for them. They followed the instructions, signed in. After which each of them received their keys and their class schedules.

Once Gajeel got his key and schedule he left without a word. Natsu didn't care. "Well at least I don't have to deal with that jackass from now on," Natsu said to Gray.

"Yeah," Gray said callously. Once he got his key and schedule he said his good bye to Natsu and left as well.

After that Natsu stood alone in the office with Erza and Grandine. Natsu turned to Erza with a wide grin on his face, "So Erza how have you been?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys sorry it took a few days to upload this. Had finals to study for and finally just got done. Again I like to express my gratitude to everyone who favorite this and left a comment. I personally thank each and every one of you and deeply appreciate it. **

**Now that winter break is coming up I'm going to try and post a chapter either every day or every other day depending on how long it is and how much editing it needs. I'm also thinking of starting another story and publish both at the same time. I'm not entirely sure yet, but for now my main focus is on this story. I hope you all continue to enjoy reading it.**

After exchanging "pleasantries" with Erza and Ms. Grandine Natsu decided to drop his stuff off in his dorm room and explore the rest of the campus. Before he left Erza explained that the two buildings near the front gate were the dormitories. The boy's dormitory was on the right hand side, while the girl's dorm was situated directly across from theirs.

Natsu made his way, walking back across the cobblestone path past the crowd of students. Many of them were still just standing around talking, not really busy doing anything, but others stared at his direction, recognizing him as one of the two fighters from the fight that had just recently took place. He didn't acknowledge them knowing that there was nothing he could do to avoid their judgmental eyes, and continued his way to the boy's dorm.

Once there, Natsu noticed that the boy's dorm was almost identical to the main building except it was comprised of gray stone and concrete. The outer perimeter of the dorm was constructed of cement with a couple of basketball hoops situated on the outskirts. Two evergreen trees were perched on either side of the stairway leading up to the entrance.

Once inside Natsu made his way to his designated room. He made his way down the gray archaic hallways past numerous mahogany doors each labeled with their assigned numbers until he finally arrived to his destination.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Natsu heard a voice snarl as he entered. To his dismay he saw Gajeel standing in the center of the room with his luggage.

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here?'" Natsu hissed back. "What are _**you**_ doing here?"

"This is my room!" Gajeel snapped.

"No way," Natsu said in disbelief. He looked back at the piece of paper with his assigned room number. He was in the right place, but he still couldn't believe that Gajeel was there as well. "There's no fucking way this is happening."

"Well get out!" Gajeel ordered.

"You get out!" Natsu snapped back. "This is _**my**_ room!"

"Well this is my room too! And there is no way I'm sharing it with some pink haired fairy!" Gajeel snarled.

"Who are you calling a fairy?" Natsu yelled. "Don't think that I'm going to let some metal mouth douche bag stay with me!"  
>"You wanna go pinky?" Gajeel challenged. "There's won't be any interruptions this time."<p>

"Oh yeah," Natsu said as he tossed his bag to the ground. "And the loser has to leave."

"Oh for once you and I can agree on something," Gajeel sneered as he prepared to fight.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Natsu and Gajeel heard a voice cry from behind the door. When the two of them looked to see who it was they saw a stunned Gray staring at the two of them. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"This is my room," the two of them said in unison.

"No, no, no, no, no" Gray said shaking his head. "This is my room and there's no way I'm sharing it with you two."

"Hey what's wrong with me?" Natsu exclaimed a little offended at Gray's remark.

"You're an idiot," Gray answered.

"Can't argue with that," Gajeel chuckled, a small sneer etched on his face.

"Oh fuck you both," Natsu snarled.

"How the hell did this happen?" Gray asked out loud. He was right the chances of something like this occurring were very slim. "Unless—"

"Unless what?" Natsu asked.

"Erza," Gray sighed rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"What do you mean Erza?" Natsu asked.

"Remember when she said she 'needed' to talk to Ms. Grandine? She must have arranged it so that we would be living in the same room together."

"That sick sadistic bitch!" Gajeel howled, clenching his fists in rage. "What kind of deranged person does something like that?"

"Obviously Erza," Gray answered. "Look I don't like this anymore than either of you, but seriously spare me the embarrassment and try not to fight all right? I don't feel like explaining to the principal how the two of you beat the crap out of each other before school even started."

"Well than we're just going to have to talk to someone and have the rooms rearranged," Natsu said.

"Yeah so don't unpack you crap," Gajeel said to Natsu.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I ain't leaving! This is my room" Natsu snapped back.

"Well I'm not leaving either," Gajeel hissed.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Well this is going to be such a great year isn't it," Gray sighed as he picked up his bag and entered the room.

The dorm was fairly large with another room adjacent to it. In the living room sat a couch and a small refrigerator in the corner. A large window with white blinds positioned on the far wall overlooking the entire room. There were a couple desks and cupboards on the sidewalls. The adjacent room was a bedroom with three beds and some nightstands located under each bed. There was another door located opposite side of the dorm room was a door that led to the bathroom.

For a long time there was nothing but silence in the room, as each of the boys unpacked their belongings in the bed of their choosing. The air was stale and the tension was palpable, as Natsu and Gajeel continued to send each other glares. Gray felt very uncomfortable being in the middle of the two, he didn't want to get caught up in any conflict he knew was going to erupt. He was even more confused if not down right frustrated, that Erza might have been the one who put him in the situation in the first place.

Once they had finished putting their belongings away they didn't know what to do. They stood there in silence, Natsu and Gajeel still exchanged threatening glares at one another. Gray became even more uneasy as he watch the two.

"Okay," Gray sighed, as he motioned towards the door, "I'm getting out of here. Feel free to kill each other if you want, just don't get any blood on my stuff."

"Hold on I'm coming too," Natsu said as he followed Gray.

"So do you wanna take a stroll and see the campus?" Natsu asked once the two had left the dormitory.

"Not really. I already know where everything is," Gray answered nonchalantly.

"You mind showing me where the cafeteria is?" Natsu asked. "I'm starving."

"Yeah sure no problem," Gray said pulling out a cell phone. "Actually now that you say it I'm getting a little hungry myself. You know we can try and go meet up with Lisanna and some of the others for lunch."

"Oh yeah that would be nice," Natsu said a smile beaming on his face. "What about Lucy? You think she can join us too?"

"I don't know," Gray answered. "I can ask, but she might still be busy with Sean."

Natsu cringed at the mere mention of Sean's name. He hated that name; he loathed and despised it. He growled as his face grew scarlet. Gray turned to him with a cocked eyebrow as he watched Natus's expression turn fierce.

"You okay?"

"Oh yeah," Natsu tried to shook it off with a light chuckle and wide grin. "I'm just thinking about what a douche Gajeel is."

"Uh-huh," Gray said nodding, his eyebrow still cocked. He didn't' believe Natsu, his expression said otherwise. As Gray continued to examine Natsu he felt his cell phone buzz. When he looked to see who it was he wasn't surprised to see that Lisanna had just texted him. "Well Lisanna says that she, Mirajane and Elfman are already at the cafeteria eating. She say they don't mind if we join them."

"Cool," Natsu answered excitedly. He was eager to see some old friend once again. He wondered what they looked like. He could only remember them as they were when they were just little kids, but he didn't know how much they could have changed. Gray was almost identical to how he looked back when they were younger, only now he was just an older version of little Gray. He always figured that he too looked the same as he did when he was younger, only that he was just older looking. Perhaps that's how Lisanna and the others were too.

"It actually sounds like Lisanna is a little excited to see you," Gray said nudging Natsu, a suspicious smirk crossed his face.

"What?" Natsu asked as his face went blank. He was a little confused at what Gray was getting at.

"Oh nothing," Gray mocked as the two of them arrived at the school's main entrance. Before they even entered Gray felt his phone vibrate again. Natsu pushed the door and held it open for him as he answered to see who was sending him another text message.

"Who is it?" Natsu asked as the doors closed behind them.

"It's Lucy," Gray told him.

"Oh what'd she say?" Natsu asked earnestly.

"She says that she's going to meet us for lunch in about ten minutes," Gray told him. "I sent her the text the same time I texted Lisanna, but I didn't think she would respond so quickly."

"All right!" Natsu cheered he raised his hand in celebration, carefully though as not to alert Gray of his joyous celebration. Yet to his dismay Gray caught sight of his action and began to stare at him with a quizzical look. "Sorry," Natsu said trying to laugh it off, his faced turned crimson with embarrassment. "I'm just really excited about seeing everyone. This is the first time in five years we've all been together you know?"

"A little cheery there eh Natsu?" Gray said sarcastically as the two of them neared the main staircase.

Located behind the main staircase was the entryway to the lunchroom. It was an incredibly large interior decorated in banners of cobalt and cardinal with the school's insignia on each one. Dozens of tables were neatly situated in rows adjacent to one of another. The entire room was lit by the natural sunlight that was filtered in by windows lined up on the walls near the ceiling. On the far side was the lunch line where several servers and cashiers attending to the students.

"Hey Gray!" Natsu and Gray heard a voice shout out. When they turned to see who was shouting they saw a young girl waving at them. She had short frosty hair that glistened under the cafeteria's main lights, and cerulean blue eyes that made her already pretty face stand out that much more. Her skin was a pale, soft pink that was as radiant as her hair. Her body was small and delicate but carried some grace with it.

"Hey Lisanna," Gray greeted waving back. Natsu followed him as he made his way to the table.

Sitting with Lisanna were two other white haired teens. One of them was a tall man with a fierce scowl on his face. His demeanor was strong and his shoulders broad. He was incredibly muscular, and even though he wore the school uniform his physique could still be seen under his clothes. His eyes were dark and ferocious, and he had a scar covering one only adding to his cruel expression.

Another girl also sat with the two, except she appeared to be the oldest despite her small physique. Like Lisanna she had snowy white hair, only hers was longer and flowed much more elegantly. She had a sweet smile that matched her gentle, caring eyes. Like her younger counterpart she had pale soft, pink skin that helped compensate for her ruby lips. She was a beautiful and elegant girl, practically the polar opposite of the young man she sat next to.

Though they had some differences there was no doubt in Natsu's mind that these were the siblings from when he was younger. Only they had changed dramatically since last he saw them. He could barely recognize the big man and the oldest sister. They have transformed into entirely new people, it was strange and he didn't know what to make of it.

"What's going on guys?" Gray asked as he took a seat next to Lisanna. "Hey Elfman, hey Mirajane."

"Natsu!" Lissana cried as she embraced him in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you after all this time!"

"Natsu?" Elfman said in disbelief. "You've really grown up into quite the man haven't you?" Natsu laughed at Elfman's remark, though he was a little freightened as the big oaf patted him firmly on the back. Elfman would consider them pats, but to Natsu he might as well be better off if Elfman decided to punch him instead.

Natsu remembered the times had spent with the three siblings. Elfman used to be a small plump boy with a nerdy bowl cut, with an out of proportion head. Now Elfman had grown. He towered over everyone around him, and with his body as well built as it was now he was very intimidating to be around. Though now that his scowl had turned into a blissful smile he didn't seem as frightening as he was before.

"Oh my God Natsu it's so good to see you again," Mirajane said as she gave him a light squeeze. "How have you been? Where have you been? What have you been doing? Do you have a girlfriend? How's your father?"

"Uh . . ." Natsu was at a lost for words. "I've been fine Mira. Just glad to be back in Magnolia."

"Come on Mira don't pester him," Elfman interjected. "We haven't seen Natsu in years and already you're bombarding him with questions. It's not like he's going to leave us again any time soon now that he's here at the academy. You'll have plenty of time to catch up."

For a long time the group talked mostly about Natsu and what he had been doing with his life before returning to Magnolia. Natsu felt uncomfortable being the center of attention, but with everyone question he asked about the others over half a dozen more were asked about him. Though he was uncomfortable he didn't completely mind the attention. It was nice to see people interested in him. It had been so long he almost forgot what it felt like to be surrounded by a group of people that really cared about him.

While the discussion progressed Natsu found Gray constantly bumping him with his elbow. When he turned to see what it was Gray wanted he discovered that Gray was motioning him to look in Lisanna's direction. Natsu began to blush as he saw Lisanna eyes were fixated on him and a charming smile on her face. He didn't realize just how cute she looked, and the thought of it made him blush an even deeper red. But it wasn't long until Natsu was snapped out of it by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Hey guys," the voice called out as they all turned to see Lucy approaching the table. She looked excited as glided down the floor to the table all her friends were sitting at.

"Oh hey Lucy," Mirajane greeted Lucy with a light hug. Everyone else nodded with smiles on their faces as they greeted the young blonde while she took a seat.

"Hey Natsu," Lucy said to him an innocent smile beamed from her face. Natsu soon found his face had turned a dark crimson with embarrassment now. He didn't know why he felt so nerve wrecked whenever a girl smiled at him. Maybe it was the way they were smiling, he could feel that there was a deeper meaning behind each one.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu managed to mutter.

"Hold on I'm going to get something to eat real fast," Lucy said as she made her way to the lunch line. Natsu's stomach growled as he suddenly realized that the sole reason he had even come to the cafeteria was to get something to eat. He completely forgot it while talking to the others. He also realized that he now had the chance to spend some alone time with Lucy too. Natsu immediately jumped up and ran to join Lucy.

"Hey Lucy wait up I'm going to grab something too," Natsu said as he ran up next to her.

"Oh okay," Lucy said smiling at him, causing his face to once again turn a scarlet red. Yet he returned her smile with a grin of his own as the two made their way to the lunch line.

"Hold up I'm coming too," Gray called out to them. Natsu's eye widened in disbelief.

"Oh cool," Lucy said softly as Gray caught up to the two of them.

"By the way where's Sean?" Gray asked Lucy as the trio made their way to the lunch line. Natsu cringed as he heard the name even mentioned. He didn't want the name to be brought up, not now.

"Actually I'm right here," a voice said behind them.

"Oh hey Sean," Lucy said as she grabbed her boyfriend's hand. "Are you hungry? We were about to get something to eat."

"Yeah sure I could go for something," Sean said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and the two of them walked away. Natsu's heart sank as he watched the couple leave. Gray on the other hand just followed behind them, not even realizing that he had left Natsu behind.

Natsu's stomach growled yet again. He didn't feel hungry anymore, he felt sick to his stomach. He sighed as he decided to get something to eat against his better judgment. He kept his eyes close to the ground he couldn't bare to see the couple. He was happy Lucy was happy, but it made him feel miserable. But as he drew closer to the lunch line he noticed that Lucy was gazing back at him, a woeful look in her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Natsu was stirred awake by the sun's rays shining in through the bedroom window. Though he attempted to return to his slumber he discovered it was useless. His body didn't want to move by the light had caused his mind to shoot wide awake and now, though he desperately tried to sleep, he found that he couldn't. Even worse was that he had to go to the bathroom on top of that making it even harder.

"I don't want to get up," Natsu groaned still half asleep. He attempted to lay perfectly still, but to no avail. His mind was wide a wake and nature was calling. "Damn body," Natsu whimpered. "Why must you torture me so?"

He ultimately knew he wasn't going to win this battle, so he decided to get up. He sat up in bed rubbing his eyes, hoping that he could rub out some of that tiredness he was thinking, but he wouldn't second guess himself going back to bed after a quick visit to the local watering hole. As he got out of bed he felt a cold breeze graze his body causing him to shiver. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea for him to be sleeping in his boxers after all, but that's how he always did it, and he wasn't planning on changing that routine anytime soon.

As he attempted with his best effort to move away from his bed he noticed that Gajeel and Gray were still sleeping and he began to relish the opportunity to pull some kind of prank. Even though he contemplated he it, it was still far too early in the morning for him to pull a prank; let alone start a fight. Instead he made his way to the bathroom his mind buzzing from the previous day.

Yesterday at lunch he didn't even have the opportunity to talk to Lucy. Sean was sitting next to her as everyone began talking about how they were doing and their summer vacations. Lucy was engaged with the rest of the group, and even more people that Natsu didn't even know began to sit at the table and join the discussion while he got left out. He didn't know why but it hurt, he felt devastated. Though he wasn't sure why he had always been kind of a loner growing up. Perhaps it was because they were supposed to be his friends, but during lunch he was more of a shadow; an empty suit filling a chair.

Though one thing kept his mind wondering about Lucy. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that she had been giving him glances every now and than. He wasn't sure since he was busy eating his lunch, but he could have sworn that she was. What was even more disturbing was that she had a sorrowful gaze in her eyes, like she was upset about something. He couldn't shake it out of his head. He didn't know if she was looking at him or not, but he could swear that he had caught her eye once. But than when he turned to face her she would turn right back to the conversation with her friends.

Lucy certainly was a popular girl. The whole table was crowded with people she knew. But many of them were also friends of Sean. No wonder he felt so out of place. He pondered as he approached the bathroom door when suddenly an image of Lisanna appeared in his mind. Lucy wasn't the only person he thought he saw sending ominous glances, he could have sworn he saw Lisanna giving him some looks as well. Only hers were draped with a kindly sweet smile and her eyes were more friendly and happy to see him.

'That's weird,' thought to himself as he opened the bathroom door. 'Why was Lisanna giving me that look?' He couldn't shake it, but he knew he saw something. "Oh well," he yawned. "It's too early to be thinking about it right now."

Later that day Natsu decided to go get some breakfast. He couldn't find a way to go back to sleep so he opted to get an early breakfast. He had heard that the breakfast began at six in the morning and since it was around eight he might as well.

As he walked down the pathway to the main building, still wearing his mandatory school uniform and the scarf his father gave him before leaving him at the school, he saw someone else walking down the path just in front of him. Her back was turned to him but he could tell form the long scarlet hair who it was.

"Morning Erza," Natsu said from behind her. The sound of her name startled Erza as she turned to see who it was that had said her name. When she saw Natsu her expression changed to a light, friendly smile.

"Morning Natsu," she replied. Her face held a friendly expression; something Natsu certainly wasn't use to seeing. In fact Erza generally had a serious expression on all the time even when they were kids. It was hard to ever see her not acting serious. "How are you?"

"Tired," Natsu answered. He moved a little faster as to catch up to her. Now they were standing side by side. But Natsu noticed she still carried a friendly expression. In fact she almost seemed that she was giggling at him. Now Natsu was even more weirded out by what was going on.

"You're up early," Erza continued. "Most people seem to stay asleep, or in their dorm rooms in the mornings until school starts."

"Yeah well I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep," Natsu groaned. "If I could I would still be asleep. But now that I'm awake I'm hungry and need something to eat."

"Well that's good you can eat with me," Erza said. Her smile grew even wider. Now Natsu was officially freaked out. Even though yesterday was the first time he had seen Erza since they were little children she never was this pleasant.

"So what are you doing up so early?" Natsu asked as they reached the main door.

"Oh as a prefect I'm used to waking up early," she said. "Most other prefects don't wake up as early as they're supposed to and sleep in. I complain to the principal about it all the time but he just laughs it off. Sometimes I think that he can be really irresponsible . . . but he's such a nice man I don't know if I would be comfortable with anyone else in charge. I mean he really cares about his students you know?"

It suddenly dawned on Natsu that Gray had blamed her for pairing him, Gajeel and Gray up as roommates yesterday. He didn't know if he should question her on it, but he figured that since she was in such a good mood, it wouldn't hurt for him to try.

"Hey Erza," Natsu began as they made their way down the main hall.

"Yeah?"

"Did you make it so that Gajeel, Gray and I would be staying in the same room?"

"Yep," Erza replied, her wide smile still on her face.

Natsu stopped for a second as he stared at her in disbelief. How could she just answer and shake it off as though it were no big deal? She knew he and Gajeel had already had a fight, and not like an argument, the two literally were beating each other with everything they had until she stepped in. Didn't she realize that she might have only made the problem worse?

"Why?" Natsu cried, a scowl grew on his face. Erza's expression on the other hand didn't. Somehow she still looked so cheery even though Natsu leered at her in distaste.

"Because it was in your better interest," she said. "Well after the fight I was thinking how to punish you. Knowing you . . . or at least from what I remember about you, you're incredibly stubborn. I knew you and Gajeel would probably continue you're fighting throughout the school year making things more and more difficult for me and I knew that I wouldn't be able to protect you if a teacher ever found you two fighting. So I decided that if you were forced to live with him than you two would ultimately have to be friends."

"Are you insane?" Natsu shouted. "You're lucky one of us was even able to wake up walking this morning! You know how many times I was about to kick Gajeel's ass yesterday?"

"And did you?" Erza asked cocking an eyebrow. Yet she still held a smirk.

"No every time I was about to beat him Gray stepped in and forced us to stop fighting," Natsu answered, crossing his arms.

"And that's why I made it so that Gray was also your roommate," Erza told him crossing her arms. "You may not like it Natsu but it was in your better interest. You and Gajeel are just going to have to learn to live with each other if you still want to attend school here."

'Damn,' Natsu thought. She was right. If he wanted to stay in school and stay in Magnolia he would have to stop fighting, even if that meant getting along with Gajeel. Well not necessarily, he didn't have to get along with him, he just had to make sure that the two didn't erupt into any more fighting during the year then once it's done he can get a new roommate.

"Fine," Natsu sighed in defeat. "I'll continue to tolerate him until the end of the year. At least next year I'll have a new roommate."

"Uh Natsu didn't you know?" Erza asked him. "Roommates are permanent for the entire four years."

Natsu's eyes widened as he expression went blank. "What?" he shouted. "Are you kidding me Erza? You mean I have to put up with that jerk wade for another four years? You know you're an evil bitch right?"

"Yep," Erza said, a beaming smile lit up her face. Natsu pouted in dismay. Erza had always taken pleasure in making his life miserable, and this was no different. But what really pissed him off was that obnoxious smile on her face. "Natsu!" Erza barked at him, snapping back to attention. "Don't make me have to punish you again," she threatened.

"What are you going to do?" Natsu asked sarcastically.

"Oh I'm sure your friends downstairs remember," Erza smirked.

"What fri—" Natsu suddenly realized what she was getting at as he immediately took a step back and protected himself. Erza just laughed at him, yet he didn't let his guard down, that's when she was known to strike.

The two continued to make their way to the cafeteria. Erza still held a gleaming grin on her face, while Natsu still pouted about the whole situation. He couldn't believe Erza could do something so cruel to him. What did he ever do to her to deserve such a harsh punishment? It was in his better interest his ass. He would probably never see Gajeel again let alone talk to him long enough to start a fight. Putting the two of them together was like putting a steak between two rabid dogs?

Once the two were in the cafeteria they noticed they weren't the only ones there. There was already a boy sitting at a table munching on some toast while reading a newspaper. He was a lanky young man with spikey orange hair. He wore the school uniform yet he had the same pin as Erza's on his collar, symbolizing he was a prefect as well. Apart from wearing the standard school uniform he also had a ear piercing and wore sun glasses, except they were transitional so Natsu could still see the boy's eyes behind the light brown lenses. Natsu recognized the boy, sure it had been a long time but he knew who it was without a doubt in his mind.

"Hey Leo," Natsu greeted. Leo turned to face Natsu, his face still expressionless as he usually kept it. He tried to give off the aurora of being cool, which is something he always did, but Natsu wasn't stirred by it. Erza even more so seemed annoyed by Leo's attitude, but she still knew he wasn't a total jerk, just gave off that feeling.

"Hey," Leo greeted. He stared at Natsu for a couple of seconds, eyeing him over wondering who he was. "Do I know you?" he finally asked.

"It's me Natsu," Natsu said grinning.

"Oh shit," Leo exclaimed as he jumped up to give Natsu a hug. His face beamed with joy as he embraced Natsu into a strong hug. "Jesus Natsu how you been? It's been . . . what? How long since I've seen you?"

"About five years," Natsu laughed as he pulled himself away. "You've changed quite a bit."

"Yeah well they made me a prefect," Leo as he showcased his uniform. There really was no difference in the appearance of the uniform, the only thing he had on was the pin.

"You? A prefect?" Natsu asked cocking an eyebrow. Though he spotted the pin when he walked in, it was still fun to joke with his old friend.

"Yeah man check it out," Leo said pointing out the pin. "The principal made me a prefect for some reason."

"That still remains a mystery even to me," Erza said a little agitated.

For the rest of the morning Natsu caught up with Leo. Erza sat and ate breakfast with the two of them, but she remained silent through most of the discussion.

"So Natsu you have any girls I should know about?" Leo asked, a sly smirk crossed his face.

Natsu laughed at his remark, "No," he said shaking his head. "There's no girl." Immediately the image of Lucy flashed in his mind. He attempted to shake it away but couldn't. Why did her face appear to him so fast? It's not like he was obsessed with her or anything. Sure he wanted to spend more time with her, but that was because they used to be best friends. Right?

"That's a shame," Leo chucked. Erza on the other hand didn't appear amused at all by the discussion. "Me I got one . . . or two . . . maybe six. Seven if you count Alexa,"

"Oh geez," Erza sighed.

"What?" Leo asked cocking an eyebrow at her.

"You are not as big of a playboy as you think," Erza said sternly.

"Why are you jelous?" Leo chuckled. Erza's eyes lit up as she stared him down. "Sorry, sorry," Leo laughed uneasily. "I was just joking. Besides it's suicide for any man to try and date you."

"Why is that?" Erza growled.

"Because the second he upset you, you would tear his head off. You're like a praying mantas," Leo joked. Erza held her glare, while Leo got even more uncomfortable.

"Come on Erza," Natsu said hoping to ease her down. Erza shot a glare at him causing him to recoil.

"You guys will never change," Erza finally sighed.

"Yeah well I may have a couple of girls but there's this one that I have my eye on," Leo said, the sly smirk was reforming on his lips.

"Oh yeah who?" Natsu asked intrigued.

"This really, really special girl," Leo said giving Erza a coy smile before turning back to Natsu. Natsu had a wide grin himself, when suddenly an image of Lucy flashed in his mind. Why was he thinking about Lucy all of a sudden?

Erza on the other hand looked even more agitated than ever, but Natsu could see a hint in her eye she was just a bit curious herself. Leo ignored the two of them and continued what he was saying. "Yeah she's this blonde girl named Lucy."

Natsu's heart stopped, as his eyes went shot up. Leo still held his wide grin as he sat back in his chair. Even Erza appeared a little stunned by the news.

"Yeah she's just—" Leo struggled for the right words, "I don't know but there's something special about her. You know?"

"Wow never thought I see you fall for a girl," Erza smirked at him. Leo just returned the smirk with one of his own. He had a slight blush, but for the most part maintained his composure. Natsu was still at a loss for words. He didn't know what to think about the whole situation. "Wait Lucy's a freshman and you're a junior so don't you think she a little young for you?"

Leo just held his grin. "Nah," he said shaking his head. "Two years isn't that big of a difference. And it's different when you know that someone is just . . . special. You know what I'm saying right Natsu?"

"Huh?" Natsu wasn't paying attention.

"That it doesn't matter if a girl is two years younger than you when you know that she's that special someone right?"

"Oh yeah," Natsu agreed blankly nodding his head.

"You better be careful," Erza warned, glaring at him. Leo sat back, a little frightened by the grave stare in Erza's eyes. "You're a playboy and you always like to toy with girls emotions. One of the only reason why I tolerate your behavior is because the principal made you a prefect. But don't think for one second that I think you're messing around with Lucy's heart that I won't make you, and any future children you wish to have, regret it."

A sheer look of horror overtook Leo's face. He was shocked at how defensive Erza had gotten. Natsu was just as stunned as Leo was, but was thanking what ever powers there may be that he wasn't sitting in Leo's seat right about now.

"No, no, no Erza," Leo tried to laugh it off, but he was awfully uncomfortable with the whole situation. "I'm not going to be like that. I wouldn't do something like that. I know you and Lucy are really close and I wouldn't dare do anything to hurt her. Not that I would if she wasn't your friend, but you understand what I'm saying right?"

Erza backed off and turned her attention back to her breakfast. She still wore a serious expression on her face. Leo turned back to Natsu, the smile slowly returning to his face. "The only problem is she has a boyfriend," Leo sighed. "Oh well it won't last that long and when it's finally over I'll be there to sweep her off her feet."

'Son of a bitch,' Natsu thought to himself. Once breakfast was done Leo took off leaving him and Erza alone. Only Erza said she had "prefect" work to do; whatever that means. Plus he felt like being alone anyways. It was weird how empty the campus felt. Once he left the main building he saw nothing but the open green fields and the dozens of trees. There was hardly anyone, except for a couple older looking students with the same prefect pins as Erza and Leo. Perhaps they the prefects were the only ones awake and walking around.

"Hey Natsu," he stopped as he heard someone call out his name. When he looked around he noticed Lisanna was running towards him waving her arm in the air.

"Hey Lisanna," Natsu said as she approached him. "What's up?"

"Not much just going to get something to eat. What are you up to?"

"Oh nothing I just got done eating."

"Really?"

"Yeah I just finished eating with Leo and Erza."

"Oh," Lisanna sighed. She seemed a little upset at his answer. "Oh well perhaps you would like to join me anyway?"

"Oh," Natsu thought about it. He wanted to say know but Lisanna was giving him the puppy dog eyes. He wanted to but he couldn't bring himself to say no to her.

"All right," Natsu sighed in defeat. Maybe spending time with Lisanna will take his mind off of Lucy. He didn't understand why he felt so strongly about her. Why was she stuck in his mind? He couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Yay!" Lisanna did a small cheer as she grabbed Natsu's hand and pulled him back towards the main door. She turned back to face him, a sweet smile on her face. He looked genuinely happy, but for some reason seeing her smile like that caused Natsu to blush. Now he was even more confused than ever.

**A/N: Oh geez sorry guys this took so long, and it's probably crappy as hell. Really tried to crank this out with family in town. So again sorry about it being crappy and late.**


	7. Chapter 7

To Natsu's surprise he had a really good time with Lisanna. In fact he had one of the most enjoyable engagements in recent memory. He was surprised how well he and Lisanna were getting along, and even more so when they discovered that they had spent over an hour together just talking. For the first time it seemed like there was someone who actually cared about him for once and was actually interested in hearing about what he had been up to the past five years. For the first time in years he felt like he had a true friend.

"Oh I got to get going," Lisanna said as she looked at her watch. "I have to meet up with Mira."

"Oh," Natsu said a little disheartened. "I'll walk you out."

"That'd be nice," Lisanna smiled as she stood up to leave. The two of them walked out. Natsu was still a little disappointed she had to go.

As the two walked out of the main building Natsu and Lianna were still laughing about some of the previous stories they were discussing earlier.

The two of them heard as they exited through the main door. They were so busy laughing and talking that Natsu didn't even notice the person that he bumped into.

"Oh I'm sorry—" Natsu apologized, but went wide-eyed when he saw that it was Lucy who he bumped into.

"Oh—" Lucy's eyes went wide as well. The two stared blankly at each other for a few seconds until. Lisanna's eyes darted between the two, until she finally decided to interject.

"Good morning Lucy," she said smiling. Lucy blinked as she snapped the tension between the two.

"Oh morning Lisanna," Lucy said smiling. "What are you two up to?"

"We just got done with breakfast," Lisanna answered. "But I have to meet up with Mira and Natsu was just walking me back towards the dorm."

"Oh well than don't let us keep you," Sean said as he walked up. Natsu blinked when he saw him; he hadn't even noticed Sean was there. Sean had a smile on his face as he put his arm around Lucy. Natsu wasn't sure but he could have sworn that Lucy had flinched when Sean put his arm around her.

"Oh don't worry it's okay," Lisanna said, keeping her grin up, but for some reason it made Natsu feel cold and frightened. "It was nice to see you guys again." Before Natsu had a chance to react Lisanna grabbed his hand and pulled him away.

"Uh—" Natsu stuttered as he was dragged off by Lisanna. "Bye," he managed to mutter as his eyes locked one last time with Lucy's. The moment their eyes met seemed like hours as Natsu peered deep in those chocolate colored eyes of hers. Somehow he could see some sorrow deep within those soft eyes, but before he could say anything, before he could even ask why those eyes were so sorrowful he was finally pulled down the steps away from Lucy and Sean.

"Hey Lisanna what's the hurry?" Natsu asked as she continued to pull him. He found himself being tugged with such ferocity that he could swear that his shoulder was about to pop out of its socket. Lisanna was practically running her arm outstretched as she pulled Natsu behind.

"Oh sorry," she said stopping abruptly in place. The sudden break caused Natsu to stumble as he almost tripped over his own feet but caught himself at the last second. When he looked up he saw Lisanna with an embarrassed blush on her face, laughin awkwardly as she let go of Natsu's hand. "I just didn't want to get caught up in a conversation and lose track of time." She gazed at him, he could see some guilt residing in her eyes. He cocked an eyebrow. "Was that rude?" Lisanna asked innocently.

"Well it's not your fault," Natsu sighed as he stood up to face her. He wasn't really feeling mad or upset, just confused as to why she had just dragged him halfway across campus in a sudden instant. Now they found themselves in the center of the front fields on the circular enclosure, the girl's dorm just down the path from them. "I understand, it's just that we seemed to have just left rather . . . abruptly." Natsu struggled to find the right words.

"I'm sorry," Lisanna apologized innocently as she began to gaze at him with puppy dog eyes, "I would understand if you wanted to go back."

Natsu was taken back by the sweet look on Lisanna's face; a light blush crossed his face. He couldn't bear to gaze at her with such a sweet innocent expression. "No, no," he sighed in defeat; he still couldn't gaze into those cerulean blue eyes of hers. "It's no problem, and besides I did promise to walk you back to the dorm didn't I?" Natsu attempted to smile at her, only increasing the awkward aurora arising from the situation.

"Ah," Lisanna uttered smiling at him, "you're so sweet Natsu. But I am sorry about leaving so suddenly. You're such a great guy you know that?"

Natsu was surprised to hear her say that. His face turned a scarlet red as Lisanna continued to smile sweetly at him. "Uh thanks," he said awkwardly. When Lisanna wasn't looking Natsu quickly peeked back to the main building to see if he could still spot Lucy and Sean, but as he expected the two had already entered the school. He wondered that if he dropped Lisanna off he could make a quick dash back to the main building and join the other two for breakfast.

"Well here we are," Lisanna said as the two arrived in front of the girl's dorm. It was practically identical to the boy's dorm, except there were beds of flowers perched just outside the first story windows, and more elegant curtain fluttered in the windows. "Thanks Natsu I really—" Lisanna began to say but jumped midsentence as a loud clashing clatter erupted behind them. The two began to gaze around to find the source of where the sound could have possibly come from. Again they heard a loud clash, only this time Natsu heard it come from the other side of the building.

"What's that?" Natsu asked as he began walking towards the source of the noise. Lisanna followed close behind him, clutching his arm tightly. He felt like the blood stopped flowing through his arm as her grip constricted around his wrist. As they rounded the coroner of the dorm Natsu saw a dumpster situated on the far side of the wall, surrounded by trees and bushes to shelter it from view. A soft clutter could still be heard radiating from the dumpster as the two slowly approached it. Natsu could hear a whimper coming from Lisann; she was getting a little nervous, and sheltered herself behind Natsu. Natsu on the other hand kept his cool as they slowly inched closer and closer.

When Natsu finally reached the dumpster he could hear that the noise was emanating from inside the dumpster. "What do you think it is?" Lisanna whispered in his ear.

"Let's find out," Natsu said as he turned to smile at her. She gave him a worried look wanting him to not open the lid on the dumpster. However, she knew that even if she pleaded with Natsu it wouldn't matter.

"Careful," Lisanna cried as her grip tightened around his arm. Now he had lost all feeling in his hand, but he didn't cause him to go astray.

"Don't worry," Natsu said reassuringly he tried to give her a reassuring smile. He could see the concern in his face. He didn't know why she was so worried, but somehow he could see some of the panic leave her eyes with his smile. Natsu had always been brave, even when they were kids. Though she would consider it more careless how he and Gray always found new way to challenge one another, which on more than one occasion would usually end with one of them in bandages, but it still never deterred him. Natsu thought that it was probably nothing anyways, just a rat or some trash falling off. As Natsu opened the lid, Lisanna shut her eyes anticipating the worse.

"Oh hey," Natsu laughed as he reached deep inside the dumpster. Half of his body disappeared for a couple of seconds before reappearing again. Lisanna kept her eyes closed, it was only until she heard Natsu giggling and a soft meow that she finally opened her eyes. "What are you doing in there little guy?" Natsu said as she looked towards him. She couldn't see anything Natsu still had his back towards her.

"What is it?" Lisanna asked patting him on the back of his shoulder to show her what he was holding.

"Just look," Natsu said as he turned to face her, a wide grin crossed his face.

"Oh my gosh," she gasped, clasping her hands to her mouth. "It's a kitten! Oh and he's so cute!"

The kitten was so tiny it almost fit in one of Natsu's hands. It purred quietly and meowed happily as it stretched its paws out toward her. Its tiny little claws scratching at the air. The kitten couldn't have been more than a couple of months old. "And who are you little guy?" Natsu asked smiling as he held up the kitten. It purred gently as it reached out its paw to scratch Natsu's nose.

"He looks so happy doesn't he?" Lisanna said as she began to pet the tiny feline. The small animal rolled over and began pawing at her hand, meowing ever so gently as he did so. She couldn't help but giggle at its cute face as it meowed softly.

"Happy huh?" Natsu said as he cradled the kitten in his arms. "That sounds great actually," Natsu said smiling. "That's what we'll call him. Happy! Do you like that name little guy?" The cat meowed with glee as Natsu mentioned the name as Lisanna began to chuckle

"That's such a good name for him," Lisanna said. "But Natsu what are you going to do with him? You don't expect to keep him do you?"

"Yeah sure why not?" Natsu said as he held the cat up again.

"I think it's against school rules to keep a pet on campus," Lisanna said, her smile faded as she held a more melancholy expression on her face. Natsu's face went blank; the smile faded from his face.

"You know what screw it I'm keeping him," Natsu stated firmly. "He's my kitten and he will be my Happy!"

"They'll just make you get rid of him," Lisanna said sorrowfully.

"Only if they find out about him," Natsu said smiling. "Which they won't."

"Do you even have anything to take care of him with?" Lisanna asked.

"No but I can go get some. Where's the nearest pet store?"

"Just down the road from the main entrance of the school, but it's expensive to keep a cat you know. Are you sure you can handle it?"  
>"Come on Lisanna it's me," Natsu said reassuringly, a wide grin on his face.<p>

"That's what's worrying me."

"Oh ha ha," Natsu mocked. "I'm going to take good care of him. Aren't I Happy?" The kitten meowed at him happily, continuing to paw at him.

"See even Happy agrees with me," Natsu stated his grin growing ever wider.

"Natsu," Lisanna moaned.

"Don't worry Lisanna it's going to be okay," Natsu said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. His face was confident as Lisanna could see the determined look in his eyes. She sighed in defeat; she knew as well as anyone that once Natsu made up his mind on something there was no changing it, no matter how much she pleaded. Than again she thought that maybe Natsu had grown more mature since they were children.

'Maybe he is more mature now,' Lisanna thought to herself. 'He has to be right?'

"Let's go Happy!" Natsu cheered as he threw the kitten in the air.

'Than again maybe not,' Lisanna sighed. Yet she couldn't but help but smile as she watched Natsu run off.

"You are not keeping that cat," Gray sighed as he rubbed his forehead in annoyance.

"Plllllllease," Natsu pleaded as he held the kitten up to Gray's face.

"No!" Gray snapped.

"But look how cute he is," Natsu pouted.

"Yes he's cute, but you're not keeping it," Gray sighed in annoyance.

"But just feel how cute he is," Natsu said holding Happy up to Gray.

"Nat—"

"Feel how fucking cute he is!"

"Okay," Gray said as he began to pet Happy. The little kitten purred as it rubbed its head in his hand. "Well he does feel cute," Gray admitted as he continued to pet Happy.

"What's going on?" Gajeel growled as he walked out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes. "What's with the cat?"

"It's Natsu's new pet," Gray said, only now he seemed to be smiling as he continued to pet Happy.

"What?" Gajeel asked cocking an eyebrow. "I thought there weren't any pets allowed in the dorms?"

"Yeah," Gray answered. "And I don't know where you expect to keep it anyways?"

"In here duh," Natsu replied.

"Oh no I don't want this place smelling of cat piss," Gajeel snarled.

"Well no one cares what you think," Natsu snapped back.

"Well I'm sure Gray is against it," Gajeel said nonchalantly as he reached out to pet the cat. At first Natsu hesitated in letting Gajeel lay a hand on his precious pet, but decided to allow it.

"Enjoy it Gajeel, cause this is the only pussy you're going to tough for a long time," Natsu said coldly. Gajeel jerked a glare at him as he removed his hand from the feline. Gray laughed at the remark, as Gajeel growled before heading to the bathroom.

"He's right Natsu we can't keep the cat," Gray said shaking his head.

"Ah," Natsu sighed as he looked Happy in the eyes. The cat smiled back at him pawing his nose. "I guess I can't keep you Happy."

"Sorry Natsu," Gray said patting him on the shoulder.

"It's okay," Natsu sighed. "I guess you're right. I'll take Happy to the pet store down the road and see if they can take him or something."

"Yeah you should do that," Gray said as he turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Natsu asked.

"I'm going to breakfast," Gray replied as he opened the door.

'Oh shit!' Natsu thought, smacking himself in the forehead. How could he be such an idiot? He just realized that he had planned to go see Lucy at breakfast, but he got so caught up with Happy that he completely forgot. He couldn't believe that it slipped his mind. 'Oh well,' he thought, turning his attention back to Happy. 'Perhaps it wasn't completely pointless and after, he managed to find this little guy.'

"You still here?" Natsu heard Gajeel ask as he walked out of the bathroom.

"Yeah no shit," Natsu replied. "I live here."

"Well what are you going to do about that cat?" Gajeel snarled at him. "You're going to have to take it to the shelter or something."

"I know," Natsu sighed, Happy continued to scratch at his face. He was torn, but he knew he had to take the kitten to the pet store. It was the only sure way that the kitten had a chance to find a good home. But he could give Happy that good home.

"Oh stop getting all melodramatic about a stupid cat," Gajeel shouted rolling his eyes. "You aren't even going to keep it so stop making such a scene. It's bad enough I have to share a room with you, but spare me the embarrassment of seeing you act like such a little girl."

"You're just jealous because no one likes you," Natsu hissed as he turned to leave the room. He continued to carry Happy in his arms, the small kitten hissing at Gajeel as the two left.

When Natsu left the dorm and walked through the main gate he suddenly realized he had no idea where the pet store even was. He remembered Lisanna saying that the pet store was just down the road, but which way? He peered down both ways. He figured that he would start going up the street and see if it was lying somewhere up there. If he had trouble he cold probably walk into one of the shops and ask for directions.

As he made his way up the street he got the sudden feeling of de ja vu. The street seemed so familiar, but than again he did spend his early childhood in Magnolia so it shouldn't be odd for the street to feel so familiar. Than it hit him, as a small sandy hill caught his eye. That's why the street felt so familiar, but he never even knew that the school was there before. Than again he was only five so he never paid any attention to the town itself, he just remembered going to the beach. That hill was where he first met Lucy. He couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"Now where is that pet store?" Natsu asked out loud to himself as he walked up the street. He continued to hold Happy in his arms as the little kitten began to fall asleep.

Natsu eventually found his way, eventually he came across the store he was looking for and walked inside. The shop was small but it did fit the need. On one side of the store there were kennels lined with various dogs and cats, while the other side was lined with animal food and toys. In the center were rows of different animal cages and aquariums. Natsu made his way up to the counter where he encountered a young nerdy looking brunette girl, with thick-rimmed glasses and braces and her hair was tied in a ponytail.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes," Natsu said as he held Happy out towards her. "I found this cat on the Academy's campus and I was wondering if I can drop it off here. Can you guys take him?"

The girl cocked her eyebrow, peering at him awkwardly, like he was some kind of demented freak, but her expression changed over time. "No sorry we can't take in lost cats. You would have to take him to the pound or to a shelter."

"Really?" Natsu sighed. "Well where is the shelter?"

"The shelter is across town, if you want we can give you some supplies," the girl answered.

Natsu peered over to the sleeping kitten. "You know what?" he said. "Can you tell me how to take care of a cat?"


	8. Chapter 8

It was another warm sunny day in Magnolia. It was still mid-way through the summer and Natsu spent almost every day with his friends, but more importantly Lucy. They would typically go to the beach to play, go swimming and occasionally scarf down some junk food. It was a time that Natsu would never forget, and without a doubt it was a time that Natsu would always remember.

This day was more or less like all the others. The group of children decided that they would meet up at their usual spot; the sandy hill across from the boardwalk on the beach. Gray, Erza, Elfman, Lissanna and even Elfman were already waiting for him at the top.

"Hey guys," Natsu said, a smile beaming on his face. "What's up?"

"Not much," Elfman answered, yet his voice was shaky and nervous. Unlike when he was older Elfman wasn't a large, grotesquely strong man he would eventually become. In his childhood days Elfman was short and stubby. He had a cowardly expression on his face and a bowl cut where his hair dangled low over his eyes. He was the only one in the group that wasn't wearing swimwear.

"Hey guys," Lucy said as she walked up behind Natsu. He was a little startled by her sudden appearance, but he was more than happy to see her.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu said smiling at her. She returned his smile with one of her own.

"So what are we going to do today?" she asked the others.

"Well we were going to go swimming," Erza said as she stood up shaking the sand off of her body.

"Well I'm kind of hungry," Lucy said. "Maybe we could go eat something first?"

"Well me and Elfman have already eaten breakfast," Lissanna said. Elfman nodded his head in turn. He still seemed to be shuddering. Natsu cocked his eyebrows at the sight of him; he could never understand why Elfman was so jittery all the time.

"Yeah I've already eaten," Gray grunted as he stood up to stretch. He was already stripped down to his swim trunks and looked like he was eager to jump into the water.

"Sorry Lucy I'm not hungry either," Erza said remorsefully.

"I can eat Lucy," Natsu said.

"Oh really?" Lucy's eye's lit up at his answer. She was a little overly excited by his response.

"Yeah," Natsu assured her.

"Okay well we'll go head down to the beach and you guys can meet us later," Erza said as she and Gray made their way towards to the beach. Elfman was a little hesitant, but reluctantly followed the other two. Lisanna on the other hand was furrowed her eyebrows at Lucy and Natsu before following her brother and the others.

"So what do you want—" Natsu began to say but was cut off. Lucy had grasped his hand and pulled him back towards the boardwalk. "Lucy?" he cried as she jerked him.

"I wanna get some ice cream," she told him with a wide grin spread on her face.

"But what's the rush?" Natsu asked stumbling to keep his feet.

"I'm hungry," she answered.

"I know you are," Natsu exclaimed. "But—" Natsu didn't have to finish his sentence Lucy began to slow down, causing him to trip over his feet and fall face down onto the pavement.

"Oh sorry Natsu," Lucy apologized picking him up.

"It's no problem," Natsu said rubbing his nose. He was a little pink from the fall. He looked up at Lucy who had a concern look on his face. She seemed upset at herself for causing him to trip. "I'm fine," he said giving her one of his wide grins. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at him. Natsu felt a little warmth in his heart seeing her smile, he hated it whenever she got upset.

After Natsu picked himself up and brushed off whatever debris he picked up from the ground the two of them continued to walk back to the food court. Though walking wouldn't be Natsu's way of describing it, Lucy was almost in a full on gallop. He pretty much had to jog just to keep up with her.

When they arrived at the front of the boardwalk Lucy made an immediate dash to the ice cream cart. She darted through the crowd, somehow managing to dodge weave through the traffic. Occasionally she found herself bumping into people, but nothing that would be considered extreme.

The ice cream man greeted them with a wide smirk as he watched them approach. The cart was situated outside the entrance of the food mart. The merchant selling the ice cream was an elderly man with a long gray beard. He wore a Hawaiian shirt and a torn up greasy baseball cap. "Hey there Lucy, Natsu," the elderly man said once the two children arrived at his cart.

"Hey Mr. Donovan," Lucy greeted. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine," she said "I'm a little hungry though."

"Oh well what would you like?" Mr. Donovan asked.

"Uhhm . . ." she pondered her options for a couple of seconds gazing over the different selections of ice creams. Though there wasn't much to choose from except for a few flavors. "Chocolate!" Lucy said finally making her decision.

"All right," Mr. Donovan said smiling as he prepared her cone. "And for you Natsu?"

"I'll take strawberry," he said.

"All right," Mr. Donovan said as he handed Lucy her ice cream cone. She eagerly snatched it from his hand and began to nibble on it.

Once Mr. Donovan had finished preparing Natsu's cone he handed it to the boy. "Okay that'll be $10," Mr. Donovan said.

Lucy began to fiddle around her pockets. Suddenly her eyes shot up in horror as she realized that she didn't have any money. "Oh no," Lucy said worriedly. "I don't have any money." She turned to Natsu her eyes began to tear up.

"Well I don't know what you expect to do about this then," Mr. Donovan sighed.

Natsu looked at her, his heart sank seeing her so distraught. "Don't worry Mr. Donovan," Natsu assured him as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a $10 bill. "I think I can cover it."

"Well aren't you the gentleman," Mr. Donovan said smiling at him as he took the money from the young boy. "Now Miss Lucy what do you say?"

"Thank you Natsu," Lucy said hugging him, his face turned a scarlet red. When Lucy pulled away from him, Natsu wasn't paying attention when his ice cream slipped off his cone and fell to the ground.

"Oh no," Lucy said as she looked at the spilt ice cream. "I'm sorry Natsu," she said apologetically. Natsu's began to tear up, and his lips began to tremble. He tried to hold it back, he didn't want Lucy to see him crying but he couldn't help himself.

"Don't worry Natsu you can share mine," Lucy said as she held out her cone. Natsu was a little taken back by her gesture but didn't turn down her offer. He smiled at her as the two of them both took a lick of ice cream. It wasn't until he noticed that his hand was on top of hers when his face turned a crimson red.

"Let's go Natsu," Lucy said grabbing his hand again pulling him back towards the beach. Mr. Donovan watched as the kids made their way back to the beach, grinning all the while.

"Well aren't that something special?"

Meanwhile Gray made his way back to the dorm room. He had just finished eating his breakfast and decided that he would just relax alone on his bed. As he walked down the main pathway he saw someone standing near the front gate. It was a young lady, no older than he was. She appeared to be lost and confused. She held a piece of paper and was altering glances between the buildings and back to the paper again.

Gray shook it off thinking he would let someone else help her. But as he continued to walk down the pathway he noticed that no one else was helping her. The poor girl attempted to ask people for assistance but was too shy. Every time someone walked by she would reach out to ask them for help but quickly backed away. Gray watched her for a little while as people continued to pass her by as she became more and more distraught. He just shook his head and decided that he might as well assist her in one way or another.

"Can I help you?" Gray said as he approached her. The girl jumped, startled at his arrival. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she was even more surprised that someone was actually talking to her.

"Uh . . . uhm . . . hi," she stuttered. Gray cocked an eyebrow this girl really was shy. "I was just . . .uhm . . . I need some help."

"Are you okay?" Gray asked her. The girl's face went pink as she turned away from him. She was a young girl roughly Gray's age. She wore the school uniform like all the other students, but was completely lost. She had long semi-curly blue hair that dangled loosely over her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep azure color and her face was flushed.

"Oh yes," she said laughing awkwardly. Gray stared at her a little confused, she seemed too anxious. "I'm just looking for the main building."

"I think it's suppose to be the large building right there in the center of campus," Gray answered pointing back to the large building he just came from. Juvia's face grew an even darker shade of red with embarrassment as she hid her face behind her hand.

"Oh," the girl said her eyes widened as her face grew an even deeper crimson with embarrassment. "I . . . I t-t-that's what I originally thought it was."

"It's no worries," Gray said shaking his head. He gave her a light chuckle but extended his hand in friendship. "By the way I'm Gray."

"Oh . . . uh I'm Juvia," the girl said blushing shaking his hand in turn.

"So Juvia are you new here?" Gray asked.

"Oh yeah I am," she answered. "I'm from out of town and I'm not exactly sure where anything is just yet. And I don't know anyone here either."

"Well I guess you know me now right?" Gray said chuckling lightly. Juvia's face turned scarlet again, as she nervously turned away from him. Gray was becoming even more and more confused by her behavior.

"Uh thanks," Juvia mumbled her face still pink with embarrassment.

"Do you want me to show you to the main building?" Gray asked.

"Oh no," Juvia said biting her lip. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's no problem," Gray shrugged. "I mean I don't have much to do today so it really is no problem for me."

"Oh okay sure," Juvia said still unable to look at him directly. "That is if you don't mind?"

"No it's no problem," Gray assured her shaking his head. "I don't mind."

"Oh okay," Juvia said blushing again. She watched as Gray motioned for her to follow him. She hesitated at first but ultimately decided to follow him.

'He really is very nice,' Juvia thought to herself. 'Most of the time people just ignore me, but he seems to be really nice.'

"So where are you from?" Gray asked.

"Oak Town," Juvia said faintly.

"You don't say a lot do you?" Gray asked. Juvia's eyes widened as her face grew an even darker shade of scarlet. She was too embarrassed to reply back. Gray cocked his eyebrow at her before shrugging it off.

'He really is an attractive man though,' Juvia thought to herself but shook her head.

"I said I was from Oak Town," Juvia said, this time louder so that he could hear her.

"Oh Oak Town?" Gray said. "That's pretty far. What made you move out here?"

"Well," Juvia began. She hadn't realized it, but she soon found herself walking side by side with Gray, "I was originally going to go to school there, but than I transferred here.

"Why's that?" Gray asked her.

"I wasn't exactly getting along with people back home," Juvia sighed. She remembered her time back in Oak Town where most people shunned her. She had always felt like an outcast and most people treated her like some kind of oddball. She felt like she just needed to escape, a chance at a new beginning. Somewhere where people didn't know her and she could remold her image.

"Well Juvia I guess I should say welcome," Gray said. "And who knows maybe we'll have a friendship of our own?" Gray said smiling at her.

Juvia just blushed at him. 'Perhaps I'm going to like it here after all.'

**A/N: PROBABLY NOT THE BEST CHAPTER BUT REALLY NEEDED TO FINISH THIS. LIFE HAS BEEN HECTIC AND I'M JUST GLAD I WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER. SORRY IF IT'S NOT GREAT GUYS.**

**AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

The morning alarm bell rang waking the lethargic three boys to the brand new day. None of who however was eager to get up to turn the alarm off. The three slouched in their beds hoping that one of the others would see to the task of turning the infuriating noise off. Natsu pulled the covers over his head in a futile attempt to drown out the racket, groaning as he did so. Gajeel on the other hand grabbed his pillow and pressed it hard against his ears but to no avail. Gray on the other hand rubbed his eyes, but made no attempt to move from his bed.

"Would one of you turn that fucking thing off?" Gajeel growled under his pillow.

"Why don't you turn it off you lazy bastard," Natsu retorted.

"Not now you two," Gray groaned. "It's too early in the morning for you two to start fighting."

"We're not fighting!" Natsu retorted. "We're. . . debating."

"Just get up and turn the alarm off Natsu," Gray groaned again.

"Why me?"

"Because you're the closest one to it," Gray replied.

"Fine," Natsu sighed as he got out of bed. His vision was still blurry and his body was sagged. For some reason his muscles ached and though they resisted his movements, he pushed through and dragged himself to the alarm. Once there he slammed his hand down on top of it, finally silencing the racket. Once he had finished the deed he returned back to his own bed, where he collapsed back down onto the covers.

"Finally," Gajeel moaned. "Now I go back to sleep."

"Not really," Gray sighed as he stood out of bed, wearing nothing but his underwear. "We have to get up for school. Today's the first day of class."

"Ah man," he heard a muffled Natsu moan under his sheets. "Why do we have to get up so early?"

"Well if you want to eat breakfast before school starts," Gray answered. "It's 6:30 right now, and classes start at 8."

"Fuck breakfast," Gejeel grumbled. "Give me another hour of sleep."

"Alright suit yourselves," Gray said with a shrug. But don't blame me when you two are hungry when you get up."

"Why are you so eager to get up?" Natsu asked, peering at Gary over his pillow.

"Well I promised I meet this girl for breakfast today," Gray replied.

"Ohh Gray's got a girlfriend?" Natsu said wickedly with a smirk.

"It's not like that," Gray shot back, though he was far too exhausted to surge up enough energy. "She's a new student and she doesn't know anyone around here so I promised her I introduce her to some people. To help her feel comfortable you know?"

"I'm new and you didn't do shit for me!" Gajeel grumbled underneath his pillow.

"Well that's because you're an asshole," Gray exhaled.

"Well maybe you can help her get really comfortable if you know what I mean?" Natsu grinned.

"No Natsu I have no idea what you mean," Gray said rubbing his eyes in agitation.

"Well you're just meeting up with her for breakfast then before going to class?" Natsu asked.

"Well no," Gray shook his head. He was finally feeling somewhat awake and decided to make his way to the bathroom to get ready. "Actually I'm meeting up with the others too."

"You mean Erza, Lissanna, Lucy and all the others?" Natsu asked earnestly.

"Yeah," Gray said as he left the room.

"Hold on I'm coming too," Natsu said as he stood up. "By the way what's this mystery girl's name?"

"Juvia," Gray answered from the other room

"Juvia?" Gajeel said, his head jolted up knocking his pillow down. "Do you mean a Juvia Lockser?"

"Yeah," Gray shouted back. "How do you know her?"

"Juvia and I are both from Oak Town," Gajeel answered. "We were both students there until we both got . . . what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Expelled?" Natsu said as he stood up to stretch.

"No not expelled," Gajeel growled. "More like we transferred."

"Why?" Natsu asked as he shook himself awake.

"Well let's just say that things at our old school weren't working out."

Natsu cocked an eyebrow at him. He didn't know whether or not he should inquire about the background of the transfer, or whether or not he should ask why he had to transfer. He could already tell that Gajeel was in one of him "moods" and that it would probably be pointless to pursue it. He obviously looked like he wasn't interested in talking about it so he figured that it was best to not push it.

"So when do you expect the others to meet us?" Natsu asked as he entered the main living room.

"They said they would meet us in the cafeteria around 7," Gray answered as he stripped off his boxers and threw them into the air where they landed on the couch. Natsu's face turned scarlet with anger, but before he could even remotely urge up enough energy to yell, Gray had already disappeared into the bathroom.

"Hey Gray don't just take off your underwear and throw them onto the couch!" Natsu shouted his face still flushed.

"Oh sorry," Gray called from the bathroom. "If you want you can just move them."

"I'm not touching your underwear you sicko!" Natsu cried.

"Hey keep it down!" Gajeel yelled from the bedroom. "I'm still trying to get some sleep in here!"

"Well why don't you wake up you lazy bastard and join us for breakfast," Natsu growled back. "Like it would kill you to be social for once."

"Don't bother me with that crap right now!" Gajeel yelled. "I'm tired."

"God you are just a pain in the ass," Natsu moaned. "And Gray you better move your boxers from the couch!"

* * *

><p>Later after Gray and Natsu had finished getting showered and dressed, the two of them made their way to the main building. To Natsu's surprise it seemed like the school was almost buzzing with students. Most of them were heading to the main building as well, but that was no surprise to Natsu, since both the cafeteria and the classrooms were located there.<p>

When they entered the main building Natsu stood in more awe then the first time he had seen it. Unlike before the place was empty and deserted. Before it felt hallow and small, but now when he looked at it with hundreds of students wondering around, he could finally feel how big it was. While he stood in amazement of all the various students that were there, he nearly lost sight of Gray in the crowd. Though he wasn't in too much of a rush to catch up to him, after all he did know where he was going.

Natsu bobbed and weaved his way through the crowd of students. He really couldn't believe how many there actually were. 'Why did everyone decide to just hang around the lobby?' Natsu thought to himself, he began to grow frustrated as he continued to dodge other students who were just standing around talking to one another.

When he finally arrived at the entrance to the cafeteria he had completely lost track of Gray, though he didn't let that deter him. From what he saw the cafeteria was busy, but not nearly overly active as he thought. It shouldn't be too hard for him to find the others.

As he peered through the crowd he caught notice of a familiar sight: a girl sitting at a table with long blonde hair. He immediately thought that it was Lucy and began to make his way over to that table. But as he drew closer to the table he noticed that this girl wasn't Lucy, and none of the people sitting with her were people he could recognize. He sighed as he began to peer around the cafeteria hoping to catch a glimpse until he felt someone's hand clasp his shoulder.

When Natsu turned around to see who it was, he was shocked to see that the hand belong to none other than Sean. "Hey Natsu," Sean greeted him with a smile.

"Oh hey Sean," Natsu mumbled back still surprised to see Lucy's boyfriend standing right behind him.

"So what's up?" Sean asked tucking his hands into his pockets. He still held his friendly smile.

'Oh great what does this douche want?' Natsu thought to himself, furrowing his eyebrow as he did so. Sean didn't change his demeanor he almost didn't seem to notice Natsu's hostile expression. Even though Natsu wanted to hate this boy, he just couldn't with him offering the token of friendship. Slowly Natsu's hostility dispersed and he returned Sean's friendly smile with one of his own.

"Oh I'm just looking for everyone else," Natsu said laughing awkwardly. "I was walking in with Gray and I seem to have lost track of him."

"I don't blame ya," Sean said with a shrug. "It's kind of crowded here today."

"What about you?" Natsu asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh me? Well I'm also looking for everyone," Sean said peering around the cafeteria hoping to catch sight of someone he knew, but to his dismay he couldn't. "If you want we could look together," Sean offered.

Natsu's eyes widened. Though he didn't feel hostile towards Sean at them moment, he wasn't exactly eager to become his friend. Than again the two of them were looking for the same group in particular, if not the same person. Natsu eventually shrugged and nodded his head in agreement.

"Well we usually sit over on the far side near the back," Sean said pointing. Natsu followed his finger but still couldn't distinguish anyone from the crowd. Sean began to take his leave while Natsu, though against his better interest, decided to follow.

The two walked together until Sean turned to Natsu. "So how do you know Lucy?" he asked. Natsu's face remained calm, though he began to get a cold feeling at the pit of his stomach from the young man next to him. He didn't know why but for some reason there was a cold air coming from Sean.

"We were friends when we were kids," Natsu answered. "I've known her since we were about 5. We pretty much grew up together, and she was one of my closest friends until I had to move."

"Oh really?" Sean said, though he fainted interest. "How close was that relationship?"

"We were just really good friends," Natsu sighed shrugging it off.

"So you two were just friends?" Sean asked giving Natsu a skeptical look.

"Yeah," Natsu answered cocking an eyebrow. Sean seemed to be a little bit more serious now than he was before. His expression was no longer friendly, but he carried a more serious gesture with him. Natsu began to wonder whether or not the two were having a friendly conversation anymore, or whether Sean was interrogating him.

"Cause you do know that she and I are dating," Sean said sternly turning his attention away from Natsu. Now Natsu began to get angry. He wanted to know where this aggression was coming from.

Sean turned and faced Natsu, his expression threatening. "You see Lucy and I have been dating since this summer, and I think we have a special bond going on you know what I mean."

"I don't know what you're getting at," Natsu growled glaring at the other boy.

"I'm just saying that Lucy's my girl friend. I didn't know if you knew that," Sean said, his threatening expression changed to a blank stare.

"Well I did know that," Natsu barked. "And I don't think I have to remind you that Lucy and I are just friends."

"Well that's good then," Sean said, his friendly smile returning to his face. "Just making sure you understood."

Natsu glared at him. He knew there was a reason why he didn't like Sean during their first encounter. He wanted to punch him right then and there when a familiar voice spoke up. "Hey guys." Both Sean and Natsu turned around to see Lucy behind them, wearing her same old sweet smile.

"Hey Sweetheart," Sean said, taking Lucy into his arms and giving her a deep, passionate kiss. Lucy was shocked for the first couple of seconds, taken back by Sean's gesture, but ultimately returned the kiss. Natsu's face flushed with both anger and resentment. His heart sank in his chest as he turned his attention away from the two lovers. It was painful to watch, and what infuriated him even more was that he knew Sean had done this on purpose in order to piss him off.

"Wow Sean what gives?" Lucy asked still a little taken back.

"Nothing can't a boy friend give his girl friend a kiss?" Sean asked chuckling. He gently stroked her hair as he still held her in his arms.

"Yeah but I wasn't expecting that at all," Lucy giggled. Her face was slightly pink from the whole thing. Then the sudden realization hit her. "Oh Natsu I'm sorry I completely forgot—" she began to say but stopped herself when she noticed that Natsu had disappeared. "Natsu?" Lucy said faintly. She looked around for her old friend but couldn't find him. "Natsu?" Lucy said again, her voice filled with turmoil.

Natsu had left he couldn't stand to watch that. His heart ached it felt like it had been torn apart from the inside. He wanted to cry but stopped himself when he realized he was still in a public place. He didn't even want to sit with the rest of the group now. He had lost his appetite and all he wanted now was to escape from that wretched place.

He would skip lunch and head immediately for his first class and wait there. What other option did he have? Sean was there and he knew that Sean was going to make it miserable for him, pining over Lucy, kissing her, doing whatever he could to make him jealous. Than it hit him. Natsu knew he had cared about Lucy, but now he knew for certain. He was in love with her. And not the whole, "hey I like you like you," or the whole, "I like you more than a friend." He was head over heels in love with Lucy, and it tore him apart just thinking that she was with some douche bag.

Natsu made his way up the stairway. According to his schedule his first class was taking place on the third floor. English, why on Earth did his first class of the day have to be English.

"Hey Natsu," he heard a voice call out to him. When he turned to see who it was he was surprised to see Leo standing right behind him. Though he wore the mandatory school uniform he still kept his hair gelled and a pair of transparent sunglasses on.

"Oh hey Leo," Natsu greeted back. "What's up?"

"Oh not much," Leo shrugged as he wrapped his arm around Natsu's shoulders. "I was wondering what you were doing up hear, rather than down stairs with Erza and the others?" Leo cocked his eyebrows, examining Natsu. He noticed that Natsu seemed disheartened and he wanted to know why.

"I'm just not hungry," Natsu mumbled.

"Oh really is that it?" Leo asked unconvinced.

"Yeah," Natsu said turning his head away from Leo.

"You know Natsu you can be honest with me," Leo sighed patting him on the back. "I'm your friend, just think of me as your big brother."

Natsu looked back at him. He wanted to tell Leo how he was feeling, how he was furious and jealous of Sean, and his feeling towards Lucy. But then he remembered that Leo was also interested in dating Lucy as well, and perhaps that would cause some tension.

"Was it Sean?" Leo asked, his face grim. Natsu was surprised to hear that Leo had actually guessed it right.

"How did you—"

"Cause that guy's a dick," Leo said removing his hand from Natsu. "I remember over the summer when those two started dating Lucy invited him to tag along with the rest of us to a beach party. I was getting a little flirty and the guy nearly jumped down my throat," Leo said, his face serious. Leo began to get angry just thinking about the incident.

"I swear that guy gets jealous way too easily. I mean I know he's dating Lucy, but me I always have my fun and I'm always flirty. I would never move in on another man's girl friend no matter what," Leo said harshly shaking his head. "I just don't like that guy. I'm just waiting for Lucy to dump his ass and then I can make my move." Leo smirked as the thought rolled around in his head.

Natsu face dropped, he knew there had to be some other reason why Leo hated Sean. But then again Leo was right Sean did seem to appear threatened by Natsu. Though he didn't know why, he hadn't even had the chance to talk to her, let alone flirt with her. "Well Lucy will see him for the douche he really is," Natsu assured him. "She has a good sense when it comes to people. Heck that's probably why she hasn't dated you."

"You make a good point," Leo said rubbing his chin. "Then again he hasn't really done anything that would make him appear to be too much of an asshole just yet."

"Only time will tell," Natsu said.

"Hey don't worry Natsu," Leo said resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not like they're getting married, all I have to do is wait. I'm only a junior so I have time." Leo gave him a stupid grin.

'That's what you were getting at?' Natsu thought to himself. He was a little annoyed but he had to admit Leo was right.

"It's like they say Natsu," Leo continued. "'Good things come to those who wair.'"

**A/N: THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT FAV'ED THIS STORY AND FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT THIS STORY IS KEEPING YOU INTERESTED! AGAIN PLESE CONTINUE TO REVIEW AND GIVE ME FEED BACK!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: BEOFER WE START I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK ****chibijaxie, Senbei x Cup Ramen, DCCLXII, ShiningStellar, cOokIe-MOnzTa, LiLyRoSe98, and GodSlayerNatsu**** for their comments and reviews!**

"Welcome class to English I am Mr. Clive, but you can refer to me as Gildarts," the teacher said introducing himself to the class. Natsu didn't seem to care he didn't want to be in class at the moment. He was still in a foul mood after what Sean pulled in the cafeteria early that morning. Even more so, he soon found himself getting hungry, and only missed out on breakfast because of that douchebag.

The classroom was rather large it fit at least a few dozen students, all of which seemed to be too tired to care about being there. It was an elderly appearing room, gray and bleak. The desks were old wooden desks that were long over due to be replaced. The far right side of the classroom was a large window situated above a row of cabinets. The only thing remotely interesting about the room was a large plant that grew over in the corner, though it appeared to be knocking on death's doorstep itself.

Natsu's teacher Mr. Clive went on with his introduction, though the majority of the class didn't appear the least bit interested in. Either Mr. Clive didn't notice that the majority of his class wasn't paying attention, or chose instead to ignore it. "Well that's all I have to say," Mr. Clive eventually finished. Natsu took a quick peak at the class clock, hanging just above the door. He let out a sigh as he realized that only five minutes of actually class time had passed.

Natsu turned his attention back to the teacher, now that the pleasantries were finished perhaps the actual class would start. But before that, he looked over Mr. Clive, examining his teacher ever so carefully. Mr. Clive was a tall, muscular man caught between his days of youth and old age. He looked tired and worn, but still retain enough energy to carry on. His reddish-orange hair was long and greasy, or maybe it appeared that way since he chose to gel it backwards. His eyes were soft and dismal, giving off the presence of a man past his prime yet shined as they had in the days of his youth. He wore a navy blue suit to class with a black tie, but took off his jacket and placed it neatly on the back of his chair.

"Now I'm going to take a role call," Mr. Clive began. "When I call out your name I wish for you to stand up and introduce yourself. Tell us your name and something about you. Got it?" The class mumbled in reply. Mr. Clive just let out a gentle sigh as he picked up the name sheet to begin.

Natsu sat there patiently waiting for his name to be called once it came. He sat by and watched as student after student had their name called out; each person seemed apathetic in their response. Mr. Clive just leaned on his desk continuing to call out the names until eventually.

"Natsu Dragneel," Mr. Clive called out. Upon hearing his name reluctantly stood up.

"Hi I'm Natsu," he exhaled. "Umm . . . I originally grew up in Magnolia but had to move away. Now I came back to go to school here." Natsu shrugged. He didn't think anyone really cared about him or his life story, and that was no surprise to him. He didn't even really care about his own life story either.

After Natsu had sat down Mr. Clive called out the next student's name. It carried on like that for the next ten minutes until the final name had been called. "Alright class," Mr. Clive said placing the sheet of paper on the desk. "I'm with you guys, I really don't feel like teaching this morning as much as you guys don't want to be here, so this is what we'll do," he said sitting on his desk. "I'm just going to put on a movie and you guys can watch that for the rest of the class period, or you can do whatever you want. Just think of this as some kind of study hall."

Natsu grinned, it was only his first class of the day and he was liking this teacher already. He was giving the class a free period, except there was one major problem. No one had any work to do, so what did he want them to do? Before anyone could even ask, Mr. Clive let out a big snore.

"Is he asleep?" one of the female students said in disbelief.

"No way," another student said before bursting into laughter.

"He has got to be the laziest teacher I've ever seen!"

"Heck all I know is, is that he's got the right idea," Natsu said yawning. He folded his arms and gently rested his head on them as if they were a pillow. No sooner had his head touched his arms he found himself asleep.

Natsu later awoke from the ringing of the school bell. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he watched his fellow classmates storm out of the room in a hurry. Before he had even stood up he was alone in the room, apart from his teacher Mr. Clive who was still passed out in his chair. Natsu could still hear his snoring but decided to leave, he would leave it to the next class to wake up the teacher.

The rest of the day progressed in a similar manner. Natsu would show up to class and none of his teachers seemed keen on teaching any of their classes. In some they were handed a book list of reading material, homework and short exercises. It wasn't until lunch finally hit that Natsu finally had a reason to get excited. He was more disappointed though by the fact that none of his friends turned out to be in any of his classes, but then again he had only had three classes on the day, perhaps he would find someone in one of his later afternoon classes.

"Finally," Natsu whined to himself. "I'm starving! Now I can finally eat something!" Natsu made his way down the staircase to the cafeteria. Though he knew he wasn't the only one and he cursed that his last class before lunch had to take place on the 4th floor. By the time he managed to arrive at the bottom of the staircase the bottom lobby was jammed packed with students, some waiting to grab their lunch and others who were waiting back with some friends.

'Crap,' Natsu thought to himself crossing his arms. 'I don't want to wait here for lunch.' Natsu pondered his options, but he knew it would awhile before he would have a chance to get lunch. He began to wonder if there were any rules about him leaving campus to go get something to eat. On his way to the pet store the other day he did manage to bypass a few cafes and eateries. Perhaps he could go over there and grab something to eat?

Natsu ultimately decided that he would just go off campus to grab something to eat. He was far too hungry to wait.

As Natsu made his way over to the main gate he noticed that he was the only student leaving the campus, despite the gate completely wide open. He was curious as to why no one else thought of leaving the school grounds to get something to eat. He didn't remember them saying that there were any rules against students leaving campus. He shrugged it of and was about to pass through the gate when he heard someone call out to him.

"Hey where do you think you're going?" Natsu turned around to see Gajeel standing only a few meters away from him. He had his same disgruntled expression on his face, as he eyed Natsu carefully.

"What business is it of yours?" Natsu growled at him.

"Well I'm pretty sure students aren't allowed to leave campus?" Gajeel barked back.

"Huh why not?" Natsu asked. "They didn't say anything to me, and plus I'm hungry! So I'm going to get something to eat! The cafeteria is way crowded!"

"Well if so I don't think you should," Gajeel shrugged. "You never know."

"Thanks for the concern but I think I'll be fine," Natsu shot back. He turned to leave.

"Hold on," Gajeel sighed. "I'm starving and I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast this morning, so if the cafeteria is over crowded than I guess I'll just leave as well." Natsu stared at him not sure what to think. He didn't know what Gajeel's reasoning for tagging along was, but he didn't seem inimical at the moment. He thought it over and ultimately decided why not? If they get caught at least he wouldn't be alone in whatever punishment was waiting for them.

"Fine," Natsu sighed. Gajeel walked up next to him, his hands in his pockets. Natsu felt incredibly uncomfortable, he didn't like Gajeel, in fact he down right hated him, but he knew the two had to live together so maybe they should attempt to at least quell some of the hostility between the two of them.

The two boys made their way across the grassy knoll in silence. The air about them was unnerving and cold. He felt like he could cut the tension with a knife. Neither said a word, not a sound was muttered just complete silence.

When they arrived at the end of the knoll and into the parking lot they were just near the main street. Along the street were various stores and shops, and Natsu remembered his trip up to the pet store yesterday when he was purchasing items for Happy.

The street was bare and quiet, only a few people were spotted wondering around. The street over looked the local beach, than again it was only a few blocks from the boardwalk and beach that he and his friends use to hang out at when they were younger. Natsu turned to go up the street to the nearby café as Gajeel quietly followed him. "So do you know where you're going?" Gajeel asked.

"Yeah I know where I'm going," Natsu snapped back.

"Hey I was only asking," Gajeel growled. Natsu didn't reply he realized that there was already enough tension between the two of them and that it was probably best not to proliferate it any further.

Natsu finally stopped in front of a small delicatessen. It was a quaint little joint that seemed to be squeezed into the two buildings next to it. The outside was lined with two rows of tables, surrounded by black railing separating the properties of each estate. Natsu had determined that this was the place he was going to eat since he knew he could never go wrong with a sandwich, and that it was practically empty so he could get his food fast.

"Huh what is this place?" Gajeel asked gazing up at the sign that read _Alexander's Subs_.

"I don't know but I'm hungry and could eat a sandwich, Natsu said as he opened the glass doors. "You coming?" Gajeel grudgingly followed him as the entered the small building.

The inside was very narrow, only about three tables stood erect on the inside, while the entire left side of the restaurant was the designated sandwich making area and cash register. On the far wall was a shelf of chips and a cooler filled with various sodas and fruit drinks. The place was clean for the most part, though the white tile was worn and scruff. The wall was beige and decorated with rows of black and white photographs. There was only a single elderly man in the whole place, sweeping the floors.

When Natsu and Gajeel entered the shop a light bell sound rang grabbing the old man's attention. When he turned to see who had entered his shop he saw the two boys standing in the doorway looking over the place.

"Welcome," the old man greeted as he put the broom away behind the counter. His voice was gruff and hoarse. He was meek old man, hunched over, but he carried a friendly smile on his face. He was wrinkled and covered with liver spots, and his eyebrows were so bushy the nearly engulfed his eyes. He wore a clean milky white colored apron over his clothing, almost brand new looking. "What can I get for ya?" he asked while washing his hands at a sink he had in the back corner.

"Well I guess I'll have an Italian Sub if you have it," Natsu said shrugging. He made his way up to the cash register to pay for his meal.

"I guess I'll have the Bismark," Gajeel said as he eyed the menu that hung over the preparation table.

"Ah good just give me a minute and I'll have those right out for ya," the old man said as he put his gloves. "So you boys go the Academy?"

"Yeah," Natsu answered.

"I see," the old said. "We don't see many of you youngsters around here often. Is it the first day of school?"

"Yeah," Natsu replied with a shrug.

"Why don't you get many of us in here?" Gajeel asked quizzically.

"Well I guess you boys are new so you don't know," the old man said.

"Know what?" Natsu and Gajeel asked in unison. When they both heard each other spoke at the same time, their faces went blank.

"It's just that many Academy kids are afraid to leave campus and all these days," the old man sighed. "It's a shame really."

"Why's that?" Natsu and Gajeel both asked in unison again. The two glared each other uncomfortably.

"Stop that," Natsu hissed.

"You stop it," Gajeel hissed back.

"Well it's because the local kids don't take too kindly to the Academy kids," the old man said.

"Local kids?" Gajeel asked confused.

"Yeah you see some of the local boys don't particularly like the Academy kids and they take it upon themselves to cause trouble for everyone. It used to not be that severe until a couple of years ago when some of the local kids put a couple of Academy boys in the hospital," the old man said as he had finished the first sandwich. "It wasn't pretty. One boy had a two broken ribs, a broken arm and his face was beat to hell. The other boy's eye was so swollen it was as big as a baseball. His knee was cracked and he had a bruised lung." The old man gave them a serious look.

Natsu had some understanding about what the old man was talking about. When he was a kid he always heard about the conflicts that were arising between local kids and some other kids in the area. Every now and then it would get ugly, but he never heard about something this serious before. He couldn't believe something like that could happen.

"What happened?" Natsu asked. "I mean how did it get so bad?"

"Apparently some Academy kids decided it would be funny to tag up one of the local high schools. The two boys who were put in the hospital were believed to be the offenders, but after what happened no one really knows for sure. After that incident some of the other kids from the Academy wanted to fight back, but that wasn't such a great idea, after all." The old man shook his head at the thought of it. Natsu and Gajeel both watched him carefully, absorbing the story as he told it. "Well these boys went to go get their revenge for their classmates and they met a whole mess of local kids from the high school just down the road. And I mean a **whole **mess. Those poor boys never stood a chance and were beaten senseless. They were lucky the police showed up when they did, otherwise they might have been killed."

"Damn," Gajeel muttered under his breathe. Though deep down he was excited about the idea of a whole school on school fight.

"It's just senseless violence," the old man shook his head, a sorrowful gaze in his eye. "And from that day onward most Academy kids don't leave the school grounds. Those boys responsible did get caught and got in a lot of trouble, but they also proclaimed that if an Academy kid ever stepped foot outside of the campus the locals would be there ready to fight." The old man peered over at them from across the counter he had a very grave expression on his face. He had just finished making their sandwiches and was already wrapping them up. "Most of the local boys like to walk on by in their groups just to see if they can find an Academy student wondering around. The shame is, is that they managed to get their hands on some students every now and then, but thank goodness it wasn't anything serious."

Natsu and Gajeel both looked at each other. Neither of them really felt any concern.

"Any ways boys don't worry too much about it. Just be careful when you're walking around," the old man said handing them their sandwiches.

Natsu and Gajeel both paid and took their sandwiches outside. Again neither of them said a word but sat down at one of the tables outside to eat. It was nice outside, and the view over looking the beach was a lot better than sitting inside the depressing bleak delicatessen they just left.

"Heh what do you think about what the old man said," Gajeel asked as the two sat down.

"I don't know and I don't care," Natsu answered. "I'm not going to let some idle threat keep me locked away."

"Same," Gajeel said taking a bite of his sandwich.

After a few minutes the two of them had finally finished their subs and were ready to go when they saw a group of teenagers around their age approaching them. It was a group of about five boys, each one carrying a sinister smirk on his face. They obviously weren't Academy students since neither of them was wearing a school uniform.

Natsu and Gajeel both watched them carefully. Their faces were serious, neither of them showed an ounce of freight.

"Hey there boys," the lead boys said as the group surrounded the two of them. "I see you boys are from the Academy." He said as he reached out and grabbed Natsu's tie before letting it float off of his fingertips.

"What's it to you?" Gajeel snarled.

"Friendly aren't we?" the boy sneered. He was young, but Natsu figured this boy was a year or two older than him. He had long sheep like black hair that was tied behind his head with a green bandanna. His grin was wide and showed most of his teeth, his eyes narrow and cold. "My name's Teebo what's yours?"

Neither of them answered. Both Natsu and Gajeel scowled at the older boy.

"Well I don't know if you boys know this," Teebo said threateningly, leaning over the table as he did so, "but you Academy kids aren't welcomed here outside of your little school grounds." Teebo poked Natsu in the chest. "And when you fairies decide to leave your little uh . . . haven we have to take it upon ourselves to teach you a valuable lesson."

"Which is?" Natsu snarled.

"That when you step out of place someone has to put you back in place . . . by force if necessary," Teebo sneered. The rest of the group began to chuckle with him. Just then Teebo raised his fist ready to strike Natsu with a blow, but as he brought it down Natsu quickly dodged it, grabbing teebo by the back of the head and slamming his face down on the table.

"FUCK!" Teebo yelled as he clutched his face and rolled off the table. The other boys stared in shock as both Natsu and Gajeel stood up knocking over their chairs in the process.

Gajeel turned around grabbing two boys by the scruffs of their necks and flung them over the nearest table. Natsu quickly turned and punched the boy that was right behind Teboo square in the face causing him to topple over. The last boy decided to jump on Natsu from behind but was quickly thrown off. Once Natsu had thrown him off he grabbed him by the shoulders and jammed his knee hard into the boy's gut knocking him over for a split second.

Gajeel turned back to his two opponents who were busy trying to retain their balance. But before they knew it Gajeel flew down on them like a hawk diving onto its prey. He jumped on one boy and before the boy could recuperate himself, Gajeel lifted him up in the air and began to pummel him hard in the face. He bombarded the poor boy with blow after blow until the other boy attempted to knock him off. The other boy grabbed Gajeel by his neck and was about to punch him when Gajeel quickly kneed him in the gut, knocking him backwards and than finished him with an upper cut that launch the boy straight up in the air until he fell down hard onto the table where he eventually slipped off.

Natsu hadn't completely knocked out any of his own opponents. Teebo managed to pick himself back up rubbing his flushed pink face. Natsu couldn't tell if his face was flushed from anger or because of the bruise, he didn't care either way. Now the three boys were still trying to recuperate themselves and Natsu eyed each one of them carefully. The first boy he had punched lunged towards him, while the other boy came from behind. Natsu kicked the boy in front of him in the chest, and while spinning on his other heel ducked and punched the charging boy from behind in the side. The boy staggered as Natsu punched him in the face knocking him down, for good this time.

Gajeel saw as the boy he was pummeling before was standing up, his face bloody and his eye swollen. He attempted to lunge at Gajeel who smirked as he picked up the chair he was sitting in and whacked the boy clean across the face, knocking him out. After the two boys he was fighting were done, he turned to see how Natsu was doing.

Natsu was struggling now. Teebo managed to get a blow in on him, punching him square in the jaw a couple of times, but it wasn't enough to deter him. He just rubbed it off. All that was left now was Teebo and the other boy. Teebo seemed to be the only one left with something to muster, while the other boy let his rage carry out his fight; his face was bloody and he still clutched his chest. The two of them began to charge at Natsu, but Teebo noticed something coming his way from the corner of his eye and quickly ducked, but unfortunately his last remaining comrade wasn't so lucky.

Gajeel had seen the two charging at Natsu and he had swung the chair already in hand at Teebo's face, only the boy managed to duck just in time to avoid the blow. However, his comrade didn't see it coming and took the chair straight in the face knocking about half a meter in the air. The hit the ground hard, and this time he wasn't getting up.

Teebo watched in horror as his friends lie on the ground. They were groaning, but neither of them could muster up the strength to stand up. He was alone. He watched as both Gajeel and Natsu slowly stepped towards him, a sinister smile on each of their faces. He took a step back and though about running. He figured that's all he had left and bolted towards the exit.

"Oh no you don't," Gajeel said tossing the chair at him striking him dead center of his back knocking him down. He face planted hard onto the ground, and though he attempted to stand up both Natsu and Gajeel were already on him.

Teebo quickly turned on his back and tried to kick at them. Gajeel caught his foot and gripped it tight. "Now here's a new warning," Natsu said smirking. "If you jerks ever want a fight with us again than please continue to look for us."

"Fuck you!" Teebo cried as he stood up again in a desperate attempt to run away. Natsu dove at him catching him from behind. Once Teboo turned around he was met with Natsu's fist that carried him all the way to the ground knocking him out as well.

Both Natsu and Gajeel stood over Teebo watching the now unconscious boy to see if he would make another attempt to run away. When they realized he wasn't moving anytime soon the both let off a sigh of relief. And then the two of them burst into laughter.

"That was fun!" Natsu shouted in joy.

"Hell yeah," Gajeel said pumping his fist. He was still energized and ready for more.

"You know we make a pretty good team you and I," Natsu said grinning.

"Yeah we do don't we?" Gajeel replied with a grin of his own.

"Well I guess we should head back to school," Natsu said as he turned to walk down the street.

"I guess you're right," Gajeel said shrugging. Not much time had actually passed. They still had over a half hour left until lunch was over.

"Did you see when I knocked that guy out?" Natsu laughed in triumph.

"Please I took out most of them," Gajeel scoffed.

"You know we need to do this again sometime," Natsu said holding out his fist for a bump.

"Definitely," Gajeel said fist bumping him back.


	11. Chapter 11

Teboo felt as much humiliation as he did pain that radiated through his body. His face was smashed and his eyes swollen to the point he could barely see out of them. Every muscle in his body ached and cried out pleading for him to just collapse right there on the sidewalk. His friends followed him, their heads low to both mask their bruises and their pride.

As they walked down the street nearly every stared at them. Teboo didn't just know but he could feel some blood from an open room continue to flow down his cheek from above his brow. His right eye was so badly swollen he could barely see out of it, while dry blood continued to propel from his nose with each breathe he took. His and his comrade's ghastly appearance were probably the main reason why everybody continued to watch them.

Though he felt physical pain he still couldn't shake the nervous tension he was feeling at the pit of his stomach about having to return to his own school. He would probably be sent home early for sustaining so many bruises and would probably lose his privileges to go out and eat off school grounds. He would most likely be suspended if they found out that he had gotten into a fight. He was hoping to make up a story to excuse his severe wounds, but then realized that the others were in just as bad shape as he was.

It was only just lunch at the local high school, and under certain circumstances upper classmen were allowed to leave the school to dine at some nearby eateries. He and his friends had finally become upper classmen that year and decided to wonder over near the Academy hoping to stumble across some academy students that didn't know that they weren't suppose to leave school grounds yet. To his surprise and relief they did manage to discover two students, but to his utter shock and awe those two managed to beat them. And they didn't just beat them up, they completely pummeled them.

After walking all the way across the boardwalk and a few more blocks they finally returned to their own school. Unlike the Academy this school was divided into several building all encircled around a concrete center. Within that center were dozens of tables where other students were still eating their lunch, or just hanging out. The building themselves were more modern furnished, concrete painted over white with rows of windows lining the sides.

The group made their way from the parking lot to the main building. They tried to hide their faces from the stares of their own classmates, but murmurs and whispers could be heard emulating from their classmates. The five of them just made their way inside without so much as a glance at any of the others. The four other boys just followed Teboo as he made his way inside.

Teboo made his way up stairs and came to one of several classrooms, the four other boys just behind him. Once he entered the room a group of high school students sitting around a large table turned their attention to them. At the head of the table was an older looking student who held obvious seniority. Around him were other students of a similar nature, all of whom stared at the boys who had just entered the room with an expression of horror.

"Can I help you Teboo?" the boy at the head of the table asked in his soothing and witted voice. He had hazelnut colored eyes hidden and hair as dark as the midnight sky, that he gelled back in spikes. He wore a red unbuttoned flannel shirt over a white tank top. He was lanky, but not too scrawny.

"Sorry Damian," Teboo apologized as he entered the room. "I just wanted to talk to you real fast, while there was still some time in lunch."

"Would this have anything to do with you looking like the living dead?" Damian asked peering them over. He cocked his eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes demanded an answer as he looked annoyed yet intrigued.

"Yeah it would," Teboo answered. The other boys remained perfectly quite letting Teboo do all the talking.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" one to the girl students asked in disbelief.

"Yeah you guys look awful," another student said.

"Well Teboo we are conducting a student council meeting right now, but if you really need to tell me what happened than I suggest I dismiss myself to discuss this matter with you privately," Damian said standing up. "Excuse me for a second guys I'll be right back." With that Damian took his leave.

Once outside he turned his attention to the other boys, his expression fierce and annoyed. He didn't want to be dealing with this kind of hassle on the first day of class.

"So tell me what happened," Damian demanded.

"Well we were just going out to eat when we ran into some kids from the Academy," Teboo began unable to look Damian in the eye.

"And you got into a fight right?" Damian said nonchalantly.

"Yeah."

"You got the living hell beaten out of you guys," Damian said eyeing each of them over. None of them were able to look him in the eye.

"Well you can imagine what the other guys look like," Teboo tried to chuckle it off.

"I imagine someone with bruised and bloody knuckles," Damian said sarcastically. Teboo's face flushed in embarrassment as he only felt that much more humiliated by the whole turn of events. "You guys look like utter crap," Damian said leaning back the wall, rubbing his temples in frustration. "What the hell happened? Did you try to fight the whole damn school or what?"

"There was only two of them," one of the other boys muttered.

"Two?" Damian gasped shaking his head. "You went out and picked a fight with two students and came back looking like utter shit?"

"They were strong man," one of the other boys whimpered. "They knew how to fight and they caught us by surprise!"

"So tell me what happened," Damian asked quizzically.

"Well we walked up," Teboo began.

"And Teboo started taunting one of them," one of the other boys interrupted.

"Then this pink haired kid slammed his head against the table," another boy interjected. Damian's eyes followed too and fro from each of the boys, his brow cocked in confusion.

"We got caught off guard," Teboo growled. "They jumped us, and before we knew it they got the upper hand."

"You're telling me that two guys got the jump on you?" Damian said skeptically.

"Yeah well this one guy knocked us over and then he smacked me in the head with a metal chair," one of the boys said pointing to his face. Damian peered over at him. Half the boy's face was badly damaged from where the point of impact had taken place.

"Well now what do you want me to do about it?" Damian asked them.

"We were hoping you could talk to the principal," Tebboo mumbled. "You know so we don't get into too much trouble?"

"Alright," Damian said, shrugging imperturbably. "I'll talk to the principal to keep you guys from getting into too much trouble."

"Thanks man."

* * *

><p>"Hey guys," Gray said as he sat down at one of the lunch tables where most of his friends were dining on their meals. His friends all glanced at him with suspicious glares as they noticed a strange cerulean blue hair girl standing right behind him.<p>

"Hey Gray," Erza greeted with the same skeptical expression as everyone else. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Juvia," Gray said poiting to her over his shoulder. He didn't seem all that interested in having to introduce her.

"H-h-hello," Juvia stuttered as she greeted the group. She had a light flush cross her face as she sat down next to Gray.

"Nice to meet you Juvia," Mira greeted with a sweet smile on her face, "I'm Mira and this is my brother Elfman and my sister Lissanna." Mira motioned to her two siblings.

"Hi I'm Lucy," Lucy said extending her hand to the new girl. Juvia hesitated but shook Lucy's hand in return. "And this is my boyfriend Sean," Lucy said turning to smile at her sweetheart.

"Nice to meet you," Sean said smiling, only he was smiling Lucy and not at the new girl.

Though she received a heart felt welcome from the rest of the group at the table, Juvia still felt uneasy. She was more than uneasy she was straight up jittery and couldn't even make eye contact with any of the others. She bit her lip wanting to say something anything, but she was just too shy.

"What's wrong Juvia?" Mira asked concerned.

"I think she's just a little shy," Gray said taking a bit from his sandwich. He didn't seem at all interested about Juvia or anything that was going on outside of his own lunch.

"You don't need to be so shy around us Juvia," Mira said reassuring her. "We're happy to meet you and we're glad to have you join us."

"Uh thank you," Juvia answered with a smile. Her nerves slowly started to fade away.

"Hey Lucy!" a voice called out. The group turned to see who it was. Lucy's eyes lit up when she saw a small purple haired girl running towards their table.

"Levy!" Lucy shouted as she stood up to hug her friend. The two shared a deep embrace for a couple of seconds. When they pulled away Lucy noticed two more boys slowly approaching from behind her friend. One of them had short, smooth cut chestnut hair and dark eyes. He was a lanky fellow and had a light smirk on his face. The other boy was also lanky around the same height as his counterpart. He had black hair with similar eyes, only he had a long sliver of hair that he gelled upwards jut above his brow.

"Hey Jet, hey Droy," Lucy greeted the two of them

"How's it going guys?" Jet, the brown haired boy said.

"It's good to see you guys again," Droy said. The two of them made their way to the end of the table and took a seat on either side. They were incredibly happy to see their friends again and were greeted happily by the rest of the table.

"It's been awhile hasn't it?" Levy said smiling to her blonde friend.

"Yes it has," Lucy said smiling back. "I thought you were suppose to be in study abroad this semester?"

"I was until I decided to stay here," Levy answered. "I mean I had to be here to help my favorite freshman with her first year of high school out right?"

The two girls giggled for a while, Erza sat watching them rolling her eyes in disbelief. She was never one to be considered "girly" but even she couldn't stand the annoying banter the other two were making. Mira on the other hand was far too delighted to see the reunion between the two friends.

"By the way Gray who's the new girl?" Jet asked pointing at Juvia. Her face immediately flushed as she turned away.

"She you're new girlfriend?" Droy asked jokingly. Juvia's face flushed even redder, and was a deep scarlet red as she pondered the thought. Gray on the other hand wasn't too concerned by it and seemed more annoyed by the question.

"J-J-Juvia G-G-Gray's girlfriend?" Juvia whimpered under her breathe embarrassed.

"Yeah you guys make a pretty cute couple," Droy continued his little joke. If Juvia's face wasn't already scarlet before she was so flushed her face was now a deep crimson like a ripe cherry.

"I agree," Mira said smiling her sweet smile. "You two actually make a cute couple."

Gray cocked an eyebrow he really didn't appear all that interested by the whole conversation. He was completely ignorant to the flustered girl next to him, and he probably wouldn't have cared anyways.

"Are you okay Juvia?" Lissanna asked concerned that Juvia was about to faint.

"J-J-Juvia and Gray as a couple?" Juvia muttered to herself.

Lissanna pouted as she thought their new blue haired friend but shook her head. "Hey Jet and Droy did you two hear that Natsu has come back to Magnolia?"

"What?" Jet and Droy both said in unison their eyes shot up wide. "No way really?"

"Yeah and he's rooming with Gray! Isn't that right Gray?" Lissanna turned to the other boy who was more focused on eating his lunch than anything. Juvia on the other hand was still lost in her own dream world, her face still scarlet red.

"Huh?" Gray said with a blank expression. "Oh yeah Natsu's my roommate."

"Dude that's awesome!" Jet laughed. He was practically ecstatic. "By the way where is Natsu?" For a second the group went silent, they hadn't even noticed Natsu's absence.

"Yeah Lucy you must be excited!" Levy giggled. "You and Natsu were practically inseparable when you two were kids." Lucy didn't respond, her face cringed at the information and she began sulking. Levy stared at her friend with some worry as she could see Lucy felt upset by the whole scenario.

"Natsu couldn't join us," Sean said shrugging. "I ran into him earlier and he said he had his own things to do."

"Huh that doesn't sound like Natsu," Droy said rubbing his chin. "The Natsu I remember. Usually he was the most social of any of us."

"Yeah well maybe people change since you've last seen them," Sean said.

"Don't worry Lucy you'll see Natsu a lot more now," Levy said reassuringly.

"Yeah I hope so," Lucy said giving her friend a light grin. "I certainly hope so."


	12. Chapter 12

A few days had gone by since Natsu and Gajeel had their quarrel with the local boys outside the deli. The two of them had finally found a common interest that somehow to their utter shock, had bonded them. The two continued to travel out to the deli every day since then for lunch, hoping that maybe some of the local kids would come back seeking revenge for what happened earlier. To their dismay they hadn't had an encounter, but they still managed to enjoy their lunch in peace, while all the other academy students dined at school.

Natsu was still torn though. He attempted to find a way to meet up with Lucy but every time he tried to get near her, Sean was always there to block him out. He hated Sean he despised the son of a bitch to his very core. He so desperately wanted to punch the snub asshole in the face, but he knew if he did Lucy would probably resent him.

The first couple of days had gone by and Natsu felt like he had just coasted through school. It was Friday now and the weekend was just on the horizon, and Natsu couldn't wait for some time off. Now that he and Gajeel were getting somewhat along better than they had everything seemed to just be getting better and better for Natsu. But things would be perfect if he could just see Lucy one more time.

As Gajeel and Natsu were walking back to their usual lunch spot Natsu was stuck in a daydream. He couldn't help but smirk at the thought of him pummeling Sean to a bloody pulp and then walking away in the sunset with Lucy in his arms. Oh how he wished that day would come.

"Eh what are you smiling 'bout?" Gajeel asked as cocking an eyebrow. He noticed Natsu's smirk as the two passed through the main gates.

"Natsu?" the two heard a voice call out from behind them. When Natsu and Gajeel turned around to see who was calling out to them Natsu's eyes shot up as he saw that it was Lucy, and Sean wasn't anywhere in sight.

Natsu stared at her bewildered that there she was standing there. The girl he so desperately wanted to see but could never get anywhere near. "L-L-Lucy?" Natsu mumbled.

"Hey," Gajeel answered with a halfhearted wave. He wasn't too interested in Lucy or anything to do with her. He just wanted to go get his lunch.

"How's it going?" Lucy asked as she ran up to the two of them. Once she reached Natsu she embraced him in a deep hug. Natsu blushed a deep crimson red as she did.

When Lucy pulled away from him she had her sweet smile on. Gajeel watched the two as a wide smirk crossed his face. Natsu could see it out of the corner of his eye, but for now he only had one focus, and that was the blonde girl standing right in front of him.

"Hey Lucy how are you doing?" Natsu asked blushing feverishly.

"Not bad," Lucy answered. She swayed her hips around hoping to get more from the pink haired boy. "So whatch ya doing?" Lucy asked innocently as she gazed back and forth between Natsu and Gajeel.

"Uhm we were—"

"We were about to go get some lunch," Gajeel interrupted him.

"Oh you're leaving campus?" Lucy asked puzzled. Natsu blushed even more. He couldn't believe how cute she looked when she looked confused.

"Yeah we generally eat off campus," Natsu said scratching the back of his head nervously. "You know so we don't have to deal with the long lines in the lunch room."

"Well that makes sense," Lucy giggled.

"Hey Lucy!" Lucy turned around startled at the call of her name. A large smile arose on her face as she saw Levy run towards her. Jet and Droy following in suit, but neither of them were in as much a rush as she was.

"Oh hey Levy," Lucy greeted her friend with a hug. Jet and Droy exchanged smiles as they watched the two girls. Gajeel on the other hand just rolled his eyes in annoyance. He was hungrier now and just wanted to go get his lunch.

"Oh is that Natsu?" Levy said as she took a closer look at the pink haired boy. "Oh my god it is!" Levy squealed as she nearly pounced on him.

"Hey Levy," Natsu greeted her as he stumbled to keep his balance with Levy half dangling off of his body. Jet, Droy and Lucy laughed at the two of them, while Gajeel scoffed. He was irritated now and was tempted to just go eat lunch on his own.

"It's so good to see you again," Levy said with a wide grin. It was only then that she noticed the vexed boy standing beside them. "Oh and who's your friend?" She cocked an eyebrow as she turned her attention to Gajeel.

"Oh him," Natsu jeered as he looked over, "that's Gajeel."

Gajeel snapped out of his daydream as soon as he heard his name. "What?" he growled.

"Hello Gajeel," Levy said as she approached him with a friendly smile. "My name's Levy," she said extending her hand in salutations.

"Huh?" Gajeel scoffed as he peered down at the small girl. He gazed between her eyes and her hand but never returned the gesture. "Whatever. Natsu are we going yet I'm hungry." The smile faded from Levy's face as she was slightly hurt and disheartened by Gajeel's rudeness

"Friendly isn't he," Lucy muttered under her breathe to Natsu.

"Yep that's Gajeel for ya," Natsu said giving her a light smile.

"Hey man what's your problem?" Jet cried as he took a step towards Gajeel.

"Yeah man can't you see she's just trying to be friendly you jerk," Droy growled jumping in. The two of them had a fierce look in their eyes, but neither of them caused Gajeel to stir.

"Huh?" Gajeel said cocking an eyebrow. "What are you going to do about it?" Jet and Droy both took a step forward, a furious look on both of their faces. The two of them were seething nobody insulted Levy when they were around; they wouldn't allow it. Lucy began to get worried as she watched the two boys prepared for a fight.

"Guys don't," Levy said interjecting. She got in front of her two friends preventing them from getting any closer.

"Heh, whatever," Gajeel said shrugging it off. "It's not like it matters. I'm hungry so Natsu if you're not coming then I'm going to go ahead without you."

"Geez can't you be friendly for five minutes for once?" Natsu said shaking his head.

"Why don't you get lost asshole," Jet hissed.

"Jet calm down," Levy pleaded. "Don't try to start anything. I'm not upset at all, just let it go."

"You're lucky Levy doesn't want us to start anything," Jet said threateningly.

"Yeah otherwise we would kick your ass!" Droy hissed.

"Whatever," Gajeel said rolling his eyes. "Hey Natsu I'm taking off meet me up if you want." With that Gajeel took his leave.

"That guy's a jerk," Lucy said crossing her arms across her chest. "Natsu why do you hang out with him?"

"Well he is my roommate," Natsu sighed with a shrug. "And usually he's not this much of an ass."

"Well that asshole better watch it," Jet snarled.

"Jet, Droy calm down," Levy sighed. "Stop trying to cause trouble I told you two I'm fine. Would you stop worrying about me."

"Sorry Levy," Droy apologized.

"Those two are very protective of her aren't they?" Natsu asked cocking an eyebrow at Lucy.

"Yep," Lucy giggled. The two of them watched the three friends. Lucy turned to Natsu, "I think they're both in love with her," she said whispering in his ear. Natsu just snickered; he could totally see it.

He turned his attention back to Lucy. He couldn't help but notice how cute she was when she giggled. His heart felt like it was going to melt in his chest. Lucy gazed back at him a light blush crossed her cheeks as she smiled gently at him.

For a couple of second the two of them locked eyes. Natsu could feel his heart beat like crazy. He was almost entranced in her chocolate eyes; those sweet eyes of hers. He so desperately wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. He was tempted to and almost worked up the courage to do it until Levy jumped in between them.

"Well now I'm hungry," Levy said snapping the two of them to attention. "How about we go get some lunch?" Levy gazed between the two of them. She noticed that both of them were blushing and a wicked grin crossed her face.

"Yeah how 'bout we go grab something to eat?" Jet said scratching the back of his head. Both he and Droy appeared to have cooled down since their encounter with Gajeel.

"Sounds good to me," Lucy said flashing Natsu a smile. He blushed again, his face turning a scarlet red. Every time she smiled at him it felt like his heart was going to melt. He couldn't believe just how much in love with this girl he had become.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile across town Sean made his way to the local high school. He discarded his uniform, knowing that academy students were not only unwelcomed in Magnolia, but also practically forbidden from stepping foot on the local high school grounds. Instead he wore a casual polo shirt and jeans. Against school rules for the most part, but for now he couldn't afford to be walking around this particular area of town in an Academy uniform. The only students from the Academy that could get away with a visit to the local high school were athletes. And that was only when there was a competition.<p>

As Sean made his way through the front parking lot, he peered around making sure no one noticed him. To his relief nobody did, and he continued to make his way up near the front of the school. As he passed several students he came upon one group in particular.

"Hey Teboo," Sean said as he walked up to a table where the boy and several of his friends were sitting. Teboo turned to look at him, his face still bruised and battered from his fight earlier in the week. The other boys around the table went silent as they all glared at Sean.

"What do you want?" Teboo said menacingly as he stood to his feet.

"I'm looking for Damian."

"You know you got a lot of balls to show up around her right?" Teboo hissed.

"Yeah," one of the other boys snarled. His face was also as badly bruised as Teboo's. He was a short gangly boy who had the appearance of a toad more than anything else. If Sean didn't know any better the bruises might have actually been an improvement more than anything.

"Would you just tell me where Damian is already?" Sean sighed in agitation.

"Why should I?" Teboo snarled. "Why should I tell an Academy Brat anything?"

"Because I asked for him to come," a voice said from behind Sean. Without a doubt everyone knew whom the voice belonged to. Sean turned around to see the older boy approaching the table, his arms crossed behind his back. Though he wasn't an academy student he still wore a casual collard shirt in some form of high presentation with a belt and fine pressed jeans. Damian was the type of boy that liked to keep himself well groomed at all times.

"Why'd you ask him to come over?" Teboo asked, the other boys were just as puzzled as he was. Damian didn't say anything until he stepped up next to Sean. He smiled at the younger boy and placed his hand on his shoulder as a sign of some respect. Sean returned the gesture with a smile of his own and a pat on the older boy's back.

"I asked Sean to come down her because apparently he knows who it was that beat you guys up the other weekend," Damian said.

"Oh yeah?" Teboo asked, he was more intrigued now.

"You described the boys who . . . beat you up as a spikey pink haired boy and another kid with long spikey black hair and piercings?" Damian inquired.

"Yeah and the pink haired kid was wearing some kind of old scarf, faded white with black lines," Teboo said.

"Well I don't know about the black haired kid but the there's only one pink haired boy in the entire academy," Sean said crossing his arms.

"Oh yeah who is it," Damian said crossing his arms demanding an answer.

"He's some douche named Natsu," Sean answered.

"It sounds like you don't like this boy very much," Damian said as he reached down and picked up a potato chip from one of the other boy's lunches and nibbled on it.

"Well this asshole keeps trying to make moves on Lucy," Sean said, the sound of frustration eminent in his voice.

"I see," Damian said nonchalantly. "So now you're hoping to get some of that unbridled hatred out of your system on this Natsu kid eh?"

Sean didn't say anything he just furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. He attempted to shrug it off.

"You've always been too paranoid Sean," Damian said as he reached in and grabbed some more potato chips.

"I'm not—"

"You're just over exaggerating, but don't worry. If this Natsu kid is who you say he is then let us know the next time he leaves campus and we'll deal with him," Damian said as he reached over and took an unopened soda from another boy's lunch and began to drink it.

"I'm not over exaggerating anything," Sean whined. "I think this guy is in love with Lucy!"

"And why not," Damian said removing the can from his lips. "She's a very pretty girl Sean. Most guys would give their ball to date a girl like that."  
>"I—"<p>

"You really are such a whiny bitch you know that?" Damian said interrupting him. "You get all pissy that some guy comes around hits on your girl friend and what not. You've always taken things way to personal Sean. You have an unbelievably stunning piece of ass who's loaded to boot and you still complain as soon as she starts smiling in some other guy's direction."

"But—"

"Not to mention she's the reason you even went to the Academy in the first is she not?" Damian said cocking an eyebrow.

"What?" Teboo and the other boys began to laugh. "You went to the Academy for some girl?"

"Not any girl though gents," Damian said tucking his hands in his pockets, "but none other than Lucy Heartfilia."

"Damn Sean," one of the boys said. The group nodded impressed. "You're dating Heartfilia, you luck son of a bitch."

"Is that why you're so afraid of losing her Sean?" Damian asked, getting in Sean's face. Sean turned his eyes away from the older boy, a scowl on his face.

"Don't worry Sean," Damian said taking another sip of the soda. "We'll take care of this for you. But only because we have our own little score to settle with this Natsu kid."

"Sounds good," Sean said, he couldn't help but grin.

"But first we're going to need you to find out as much information on this black haired kid as you can," Damian said placing the soda down. "Just give us a name and we'll do the rest."

"I can do that," Sean said.

"Now get out of here before I have to kick your ass," Damian said shooing the young boy away with his hand. He wasn't that concerned with Sean at all and turned his primary attention back to the box lunches that were still on the table.

"Okay," Sean said as he turned around to take his leave.

"Oh and Sean," Damain said, his eyes not leaving the box lunches for a second.

"Yeah?" Sean asked as he stopped himself.

"Try and play nice for now will you?"


	13. Chapter 13

How long since he had felt such joy? Natsu couldn't remember but he didn't care. He was thrilled. Finally he had tie to spend with his old childhood friends. Finally he could sit with the people he cherished most without have to be interrupted with that jerk Sean. But most importantly he was finally spending time with the girl he loved, Lucy.

Natsu sat at the table with most of his friends. He sat near the middle table in between Lucy and Gray. Across from him sat the Strauss siblings (Mirajane, Elfman and Lissanna) and at one of the table Levy, Jet and Droy sat. Next to Gray sat the new girl Juvia and Erza sat across from her.

Everyone was talking amongst themselves Natsu finally had the chance to hear about what Lucy and everyone had been doing over the past five years. He didn't really pay attention. He couldn't really, though she was speaking to him all he could focus on were those wonderful chocolate eyes of hers, and that sweet radiant smile of hers. They were mesmerizing. He just nodded his head as she continued to speak.

On the other side Juvia was in a conversation with Lissanna as the two were too busy giggling. Gray sat in silence as he nibbled on his lunch nonchalantly. He seemed rather annoyed by the two girl's cackling, but he didn't say anything. Erza ate her lunch in a similar fashion; though she may have been quiet she was listening to everyone's conversations at the same time.

"Hey what's up guys?" Leo said as he approached the table behind Erza. He dressed casually and still wearing his transcendent sunglasses.

"Hey Leo," Lucy said smiling at him as stopped just behind Erza.

"Hey Lucy," Leo said giving her a wide grin. "You're looking as beautiful as ever," he said winking as he took a seat on the other side of Erza. Lucy just rolled her eyes at him, chuckling as she did so.

Natsu felt a sudden surge of frustration, but it didn't last long. Though he didn't like Leo's flirtation with Lucy, but all in all he liked Leo. He couldn't get angry at his friend. Being flirty was just the way Leo was and he didn't hold it against him. But he could see why Sean would be such a douchebag to him. If Sean hadn't like Natsu so much as talking to Lucy he couldn't imagine how Sean would have reacted if he saw Leo flirt with her.

"Why do you have to behave in such a despicable manner?" Erza grunted.

"What's with you Erza?" Leo said, his grin still wide. He cocked an eyebrow at her. He found it funny when she got frustrated with him it gave him some sick kind of pleasure.

"Do you have to be so flirty with every girl you see?" Erza said as she turned to glare at him.

"I don't flirt with you do I?" Leo said smirking at her.

"That's cause you know what would happen if you do?" Erza said threateningly.

"Oh I certainly do," Leo said smirking back at her.

"What's with them?" Natsu asked whispering into Lucy's ear. He didn't notice how close he was until she turned to face him. His face lit up in a blush when he realized that se was only a few centimeters from his face. Their eyes interlocked. He could smell her shampoo as thin strands of hair brushed across his face.

"Those two are always arguing," she snickered. "It's kind of funny to watch."

"Yeah?" Natsu said as he watched his face still as red as a cherry. As he watched he noticed out of the corner of his eye Lissanna was glaring at him. She looked quite upset. He was a little startled, but when he turned to face her he saw that she had was back in her conversation with Juvia. He was a little baffled about what had just happened, and even though she was giggling with her friend again she continued to give him quick glimpses of distaste.

"Excuse me Natsu?" Natsu heard an elderly voice say his name from behind him. When he peered back to see who it was he saw his English teacher Gildarts standing right behind him.

"Mr. Clive?" Natsu said shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"The principal sent me to get you," the teacher grunted. He seemed unenthusiastic about his task.

"Huh?" Natsu said cocking an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Don't know," Gildarts said with a shrug. "I was just asked to come get you and bring you to his office. Could you please follow me?" Gildarts gestured for Natsu to follow him.

"Oh," Natsu said as he stood up. "Well okay." Natsu reluctantly followed his teacher. Just when things seemed like they were finally looking up for him did some body always have to interrupt.

"Well I'll see you guys later," Natsu said as he waved good-bye to his friends. Lucy waved back a soft yet sad smile crossed her face. Natsu's heart felt crushed. Once again he was so close to her only to be torn away by something else. He really hated how his luck was going.

Natsu followed his teacher out of the cafeteria and up the staircase. He remembered when he first arrived and had to go to the office with Gajeel and Gray. It was located on the second floor just above the cafeteria. As he followed his teacher who couldn't help but wonder what he did that would get him called up to the principal's office. He pondered over the possibilities but he hadn't done anything on campus that would get him into trouble.

When he arrived in the front office he saw Ms. Grandine sitting over her counter reading a book. She looked as grumpy as usual and Natsu could already feel a cold tingly feeling course through his spine. He really hopped that he wouldn't have to talk to her again.

"Hey Ms. Grandine," Gildarts greeted with his weary smile.

"Hello Gildarts," Ms. Grandine replied, not even bother looking up from her book. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Gildarts yawned. "A little tired."

"Oh?" Grandine said furrowing her eyebrows. "Well how is your daughter than?"

"She's as perky as ever," Gildarts said. "She's suppose to come back to the Academy this weekend."

"Well isn't that nice," Ms. Grandine said, though there was no enthusiasm in her voice. "I hope to see her soon."

"You will," Gildarts chuckled. "Well anyways I'm here to drop off Natsu to see the principal," Gildarts said pointing back to the pink haired boy. Natsu's face cringed as Ms. Grandine's eyes darted to him as she gave him a fierce glare.

"Oh yes I see," Ms. Grandine hissed, "the trouble maker himself. Well Makarov is waiting for him in his office."

"Alright thank you Ms. Grandine," Gildarts said giving her a light smirk. "Come on Natsu," Gildarts said as he motioned for Natsu to follow him as he walked behind the counter. Natsu hesitated at first still afraid that Grandine was going to bite him if he got anywhere near her, but he complied. As he passed by the counter he made sure to stay as far away from Grandine he could while she leered at him the entire time. Once he was finally behind the counter he ran to catch up to Gildarts.

Right behind the counter was a hallway that was lined with doors. At the very end of the hallway was another oak door with the tag that read "Principal" on it. Gildarts approached the door, Natsu following suit. Once they arrived at the door Gildarts knocked before a voice called out, "Come in!"

Natsu followed Gildarts into the room. To his surprise the room was rather large. Both sides of the office were lined with shelves of books and documents. The floor was constructed of polished wood and the walls painted a mossy green. At one end of the room sat a hefty oak desk covered with unorganized papers with two leather chairs resting in front of it. A fireplace was situated in one of the corners of the room, though it was currently unlit. A fan with a lamp connected to it hung in the center of a ceiling, yet all the light currently flooded into the room from the enormous window situated right behind the main desk.

Sitting at the desk was a rather stubby elderly man. He was incredibly tiny, no bigger than a mere child. He was bald for the most part but he had two bushy bundles of hair on either side of his head and a puffy mustache above his lip. He had a friendly demeanor about him that made Natsu feel rather comfortable being there.

"Oh hello Gildarts," the old man greeted with a wide grin. "Is that Natsu standing behind you?" he asked staring at the pink haired boy standing behind the English teacher.

"Oh yes it is," Gildarts said placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, pushing him closer.

"Come in, come in," the old man beckoned. "Have a seat."

"Thank you," Gildarts said as he and Natsu took their seats in the two leather chairs.

"So you're Natsu eh?" the old man said smiling at him. Natsu held a blank stare, he still had no idea why he was there, but he didn't think that it could be that he was in trouble since the principal was acting so friendly. "How are you today young man?"

"I'm fine," Natsu answered. He felt a lot easier now.

"That's good," Makarov said looking over some of his many papers. "I bet you're wondering why I called you here today eh?"

"Yes sir," Natsu said nodding his head.

"Well Natsu I regret to inform you that I have heard some rather disturbing news," Makarov sighed as he picked up a piece of paper. Natsu's cocked an eyebrow confused. "It has come to our attention that you and another student had been involved in a fight that took place outside of the school's campus."

'So that's what it's about,' Natsu thought to himself. Somehow the principal found about the little skirmish that he and Gajeel had with some of the local kids during the first day of school. He wondered how the principal found out. Though he knew that he would find out soon enough.

"As you should know Natsu fighting is forbidden for Academy students and any student found fighting is to be punished," Makarov said.

"But sir you don't understand," Natsu blurted out. "They came to attack us! We were only defending ourselves."

"I know," Makarov sighed shaking his head. Natsu was a little taken back by the principal's reaction. "Those local kids are always looking for a fight. I know that the rules mandate that I should punish you but in all honesty I really don't feel like I should."

"That's right," Gildarts said. He looked at Natsu with a gentle stare. "You see our students have been getting into trouble with the local kids before, but it never got too serious. But now it seems that local kids are escalating things to a whole new level. A few years ago we had to change the rules around so that our students wouldn't be tempted into going out to make matters worse."

"Oh," Natsu breathed a sigh of relief.

"We heard about this from the student body president from one of the local high schools," Makarov said. "He told us that you and one of your classmates started a fight outside campus."

"And how did he find out about my name?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know," Makarov said shaking his head. "Apparently one of other students told him who you were."

'So someone told them?' Natsu thought to himself. 'Who told them and how did they know that I was apart of the fight? They didn't know Gajeel's name but they somehow knew mine. And if tensions are so bad between local and academy kids who would tell them?' It didn't make sense to Natsu, but he figured that as long as he wasn't being punished he didn't really care.

"So Natsu we just called you in here to tell you that the next time you see any local kids try your best to avoid them," Gildarts said.

"Yes sir," Natsu said nodding his head.

"We also want you to tell your classmate this news as well," Makarov said. "In all honesty I can't stand these local bastards," Makarov said shaking his head. "They continue to harass our students. But after what happened a couple of years ago . . . I just don't want something like that to happen again."

"I understand," Natsu said.

"That's good," Makarov said smiling. "Well thank you for coming by Natsu and I hope you understand our conern."

"I do and thank you sir," Natsu said as he stood up. The elderly man stood up as well, extending his hand for a shake. Natsu took his principal's hand in his and shook it.

"Well you better get going you don't want to be late for class."

"Thank you," Natsu said as he took his leave. Once he was gone Makarov took his seat, while Gildarts continued to stay seated in his.

"I like the boy," Makarov said grinning. "I like it even more knowing that he beat the crap out some of those scumbags."

Gildarts gave off a light chuckle. "Do you really think he's going to stay out of trouble?" he asked.

"Nope," Makarov said shaking his head. "That boy doesn't take crap from nobody. Though I don't know what will happen if he gets into another big fight?"

"Eh you have to think of it when the time comes," Gildarts said with a shrug.

"Well let's just hope that time doesn't come."

**A/N: Wow sorry this took so long, and this chapter isn't exactly thrilling. But I wrote this chapter three times and kept scrapping it. So I'm sorry about the late update and I'm sorry for it being a little dull, but you'll see why I write each chapter the way I do. **


	14. Chapter 14

It had been a few days since Natsu had his meeting with the principal. Nothing much happened in the days following the meeting. Natsu carried on as he did most of the school days. Unfortunately Sean had come back keeping Natsu from seeing Lucy again. It wasn't so much that Sean prevented him from seeing her it's just that Natsu couldn't stand the sight of seeing him cozy up with her. The mere thought of it made him nauseated. But he knew that he would get his chance to see her soon enough.

It was lunchtime again, and everyone met up at the regular table to eat together everyone with the exception of Natsu and Leo. Leo was like Natsu in that he utterly despised Sean. He didn't necessarily hate Sean because of his relationship with Lucy, like Natsu, he hated Sean because of his aggressive attitude towards him. Though even without the two of them everyone else carried on with their lives.

"I don't get it Leo," Natsu said shaking his head as the two of them were walking through the main courtyard back to the boy's dorm, "I don't get why Lucy dates such a prick.

"Well it wasn't exactly her first choice either," Leo told him. Leo walked with his hands in his pocket nonchalantly as he always did. He continued to wear his sunglasses, although Natsu began to wonder if he ever took them off.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"Hey Leo," a group of girls chirped as the passed by the two girls.

"Hey girls," Leo said winking at them with a seductive grin on his face. Natsu just sighed and rolled his eyes as he watched his friend act all flirty with other girls. It was nothing new for him Leo had always been that way. He just found it kind of ridiculous that Leo acted like this everywhere he went.

"What?" Leo asked cocking an eyebrow as he saw Natsu's grimace expression. Though Leo probably could take a guess as to why. After all most people he hung out with usually had the same response every time he was flirty.

"I said 'What do you mean?'" Natsu reiterated.

"Oh that," Leo said remembering their conversation. "Well you know that Lucy's family is incredibly wealthy—"

"What?" Natsu interrupted his face shot up in surprise.

"Yeah Lucy's family is loaded you didn't know that?" Leo said his face was just as confused as Natsu's.

"No I didn't," Natsu said shaking his head.

"You've been friends with her for so long and you never knew she came from a wealthy family?" Leo asked still a little perplexed.

"Well I never even went to her house once as a kid so I wouldn't know," Natsu told him. He thought about the many times with Lucy when they were children. Not once had he ever gone to her house. When they were kids they usually met up at the beach or after school. He hadn't even met Lucy's father, then again it was never something he paid that much attention to.

"But you do know about the Heartfilia though right?" Leo asked. He seemed skeptical of Natsu. Nearly everyone in the town had heard of the Heartfilia family. He wondered how someone who was as close of a friend to Lucy didn't know about her family.

"Yeah but why is that so important?" Natsu said shrugging. He never went into Lucy's personal life. He never went into any of his friend's personal lives. He hadn't really cared too much before.

"Because Lucy's father is one of the richest businessmen in the region," Leo said shaking his head. "Everyone around here knows the Heartfilia name."

"But so what if she's a Heartfilia?" Natsu grunted. "What does that have to do with her dating Sean?"

"Sean also comes from a wealthy family," Leo told him, a serious look crossed his face. "Sean's father is another wealthy businessmen who has been doing deals with Lucy's father for some time now." Natsu stopped, the two boys were in front of the boy's dorm but he wanted to hear the rest of the story. He was clung onto every word that Leo said.

Lucy's father was the richest man not only in the town, but quite possibly the entire region. Sean's father was the second richest man though his fortune was pretty close. It was safe to say that without a doubt both Sean and Lucy's families were the elite of the town.

"What kind of deals?" Natsu asked his face stern. He didn't like the sound of what he was hearing.

"Well both Sean and Lucy's fathers are incredibly rich successful businessmen that both own major corporations," Leo continued. "If Lucy and Sean were to get married that would mean that both those corporations could _legally_ combine and from there on the rest is just details."

"Those fucking bastards!" Natsu cursed under his breathe. He couldn't believe that Lucy's own father would do something so low. He's pretty much just selling his own daughter to increase his own wealth. The thought of it made him enraged.

Natsu couldn't believe that Lucy's own father was pretty much just marketing her as though she were some piece of meat. He could understand Sean that guy was a prick and he felt bad for whatever woman would marry him, but he couldn't stand the thought of Lucy being sold off. Natsu had never even met Lucy's father but he had a sudden urge to punch him out for even thinking of doing this to Lucy.

"Calm down Natsu," Leo sighed. He could see the rage building up in Natsu's eyes and body. "I don't think Lucy is thinking about marriage right now, heck I doubt she'll even go through with it."

"Huh?" Natsu said cocking an eyebrow.

"Lucy's not going to marry some jerk because her father told her too," Leo said giving Natsu a reassuring grin. "You should know her better than that."

"You're right Leo," Natsu sighed but he was more relieved now. "I know Lucy probably won't marry him, but why is she still dating him?"

To Natsu it just sounded more like wishful thinking. He hoped that Lucy would break off her relationship with that dick, but he didn't know if perhaps she really was serious about dating him. He hated to think about it but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was nothing he could do. It scared him, not because he believed he was going to lose her, it was because he felt so powerless. He knew that he had no control or say in the situation and it made him feel weak. He wanted to save her, he wanted to protect her but maybe he couldn't.

"I don't know," Leo shrugged, "probably to make her father happy but I don't really know." The two waited outside Natsu continued to think about Lucy as Leo flashed some flirty smiles to girls who passed by. Even though Natsu saw Leo act like himself he didn't have it in him to give his friend crap about it. He wanted to get his mind off of it, but couldn't.

Natsu continued to watch as Leo exchange flirty smiles with the girls across the way. Leo seemed eager to go over and get a little more "acquainted" with them, but he fought the urge. He and Natsu were waiting for Gray and Gajeel to appear so that they could go eat some lunch outside of campus. Natsu and Gajeel usually ate off campus since it was faster and Leo already knew the main reason why Natsu did it was because he couldn't stand Sean. Thankfully Natsu never saw him in the dorm otherwise things would turn ugly real fast.

It was Gray's idea that the four boys should all get lunch together that day. He felt like he needed some time away from Juvia who was as latched onto him as a leech. He thought he go eat with Natsu and Gajeel, but realized he could barely stand the two of them together as it was so he invited Leo to ease any tension. Gray and Leo were close friends and he figured that Leo would have no problems joining them for an off campus meal.

"So we ready to go?" Gajeel asked as he and Gray walked up to Natsu and Leo.

"Yeah," Leo said, not averting his eyes from a group of girls sitting under one of the nearby trees. They all giggled as Leo winked at them. The other three boys moaned in annoyance.

"So where are we eating?" Gray asked as the four boys made their way to the main gate.

"There's this really good Mexican joint on the main street," Natsu said.

"Sounds good," Gray sighed. "As long as I can get some time away from Juvia."

"Uh your girl friend draining you again Gray?" Natsu teased as they passed by the main gate.

"Shut up," Gray grumbled. Natsu just laughed. He really did enjoy teasing Gray it was something of a hobby for him. Gray did get easily quirked by it though today he just seemed too tired to actually care all that much.

The four boys made their way passed the gate and across the grassy knoll. Natsu and Leo continued to talk, but they turned their discussion away from Lucy and were talking more about Leo's job as a prefect. Gajeel and Gray remained silent as they usually did. For Natsu it seemed to create a weird atmosphere, but having to have lived with those guys he could say he was used to it.

As they walked down the street Natsu caught a familiar trios walking down the street in the other direction. He nudged Gray on his shoulder, "Hey isn't that Jet, Droy and Levy?" Natsu asked as he watched the three friends.

"Yeah it is," Gray said he sounded like he was also interested in seeing the trio. Though Gray decided to join Natsu and Gajeel for lunch for the first time that day he knew all too well that students just didn't leave the campus. Than again that was just something that was beaten into everyone's head. He definitely knew it, but even though it was an unwritten rule most students abided by it. "I wonder what they're doing out here?"

"Huh? What are you two talking about?" Gajeel grumbled as he turned to see. "Oh those guys?" Gajeel chuckled to himself. "Perhaps they realized that it was safer for them to go off of campus now after I kicked some of those local kid's asses."

"What do you mean _you_ kicked the local kid's asses?" Natsu growled.

"Exactly what I mean Pinky," Gajeel said stepping towards him, their foreheads nearly touched. The two of them exchanged fierce scowls. "I took out about three of them. You could barely manage one by yourself!"

"Ha! I took on three guys at the same time!" Natsu jeered. "You just managed to beat a couple of scrubs easily before interjecting into my fight!"

"You wanna go right now?" Gajeel growled raising his fist.

"You bet I do," Natsu said as a wide grin rose across his face.

"Ladies, ladies please," Leo said interjecting between the two of them, "you're both ugly. And as a prefect I can't allow you guys to start a fight here no matter how entertaining it would be to watch."

"Great you two are acting like a bunch of children again," Gray sighed yet he kept his eyes on the trio down the road.

"Oh shut it," Gajeel grumbled. "Anyways I'm hungry so let's keep going." He continued to make his way up the street with Natsu following suit. Behind them Gray stood there and continued to watch the other three. Leo began to follow Natsu and Gajeel but turned around when he noticed that Gray wasn't following himself.

"What's wrong Gray?" Leo asked eyeing the other three carefully.

"Nothing really," Gray exhaled as he shrugged. "I just don't get why those three are wondering about off campus. I mean don't they know it's dangerous?"

"Well we're wondering outside of campus aren't we?" Leo said in a joking manner. He placed his hand on Gray's shoulders hoping to ease some of the tension from his friend.

"Well I mean I get that we can wonder around since we can take care of ourselves, but—"

"Don't worry Levy has Jet and Droy to watch after her," Leo said reassuringly. "She'll be fine as long as she has those two with her."

"Yeah but Jet and Droy are weak. They'll get their asses kicked if any of the local kids catch them."

Leo was a little more serious now. But from the looks of it the area was clear. Generally local kids came out near the beach and he didn't see anyone. He figured that maybe the three others would be okay at least he hoped they would be okay.

"Hey what's taking you guys so long?" Natsu shouted at them. He and Gajeel had made there way further up the street before noticing the other boys were still behind them.

"We're coming," Leo shouted back as he made his way. Gray hesitated at first but decided to continue on with his friends. He still didn't like the idea of Levy and the other two wondering around off campus.

As the group of friends continued to walk up the street they noticed a group of about a dozen boys that were approaching them. Natsu recognized who they were; Teboo and the other boys he and Gajeel fought on the first day of school. Though there were other boys he hadn't seen before.

"I wonder what they want?" Gajeel said as he watched the other boys. His face was serious but ultimately he wasn't threatened by their presence.

"Maybe another ass whooping," Natsu said excitedly. He was eager to see what was happened.

Gray and Leo seemed to remain calm despite the approaching local boys. They weren't familiar with any of those boys but they weren't fazed at all. The four of them just watched as the group approached them.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Natsu," Teboo said stopping only a few feet away from the four boys. Natsu gritted his teeth as he heard Teboo say his name. He didn't like the boy but he didn't hated that he knew his name.

"What do you want?" Natsu barked.

"Just move along boys," Leo said as he stepped between Natsu and Teboo. He didn't want a brawl to break out anytime soon. He knew that they should just to try to avoid conflict at this point.

"Why don't you try and make us jerkoff," Teboo hissed as he took a step closer. Natsu and Gajeel responded by edging forward themselves. Leo remained unfazed by the threat, and he wasn't going to do anything that could start a fight.

"Now, now, now," a voice said from behind Teboo. An older boy made his way to the front, once Leo saw him his eyes shot up. "Calm down Teboo can't you see they don't want to fight?" Damian said as he stepped forward pushing Teboo back.

"Damian?" Leo hissed in surprise. A scowl crossed his face as he stared at the other boy.

"Oh hello there Leo," Damian greeted a friendly smile on his face. "How are you doing?"

"What do you want Damian?" Leo demanded.

"We were just on our way to get something to eat," Damian answered. "I hope that's okay with you guys." Damian kept his demeanor as he always did. He stood up as a professional and almost appeared that he wanted to have a peaceful transaction between himself and Leo. But Natsu could see the look in his eyes that just made his stomach knot up.

"We don't want any trouble Damian," Leo said his eyes leering over the group.

"And neither do we," Damin said holding his hands up as though insulted that Leo could accuse him of wanting to start trouble.

"Well I wouldn't mind fucking up Natsu and metal head over there," Teboo hissed under his breath. "I think I need we need to return the favor for what they did to us a couple of weeks ago."

"Now, now Teboo play nice," Damian said.

"If you want another ass beating I'll be happy to oblige you," Gajeel chuckled.

"What was that?" Teboo yelled taking a step forward. Damian immediately step in front of him and held him back.

"That's enough Teboo," Damian said as he pushed the boy back. "Cant' we all just get along?"

"How about this we'll go back to our campus and you guys go back to yours'? Deal?" Leo said.

"Oh come now Leo," Damian said in a melodramatic tone. "I think we can all enjoy the ourselves don't you? I mean it's a bright sunny day, we're near the beach, why can't we just have some fun?"

"Let's go guys," Leo said as he turned to walk away. Gray placed his hands in his pockets and followed Leo. As the other two boys began to walk away both Natsu and Gajeel were reluctant to follow. Neither of them wanted to back away from what they believed to be a potential fight. They eyed each other wondering if they should stay and accept whatever challenge might be presented to them.

"Natsu! Gajeel! Let's go!" Leo ordered. Again they hesitated not wanting to back off.

"That's right run away," one of the local boys taunted. Gajeel's eyes lit up as he was about to rush forward. He didn't care what the odds were he didn't like it when people thought of him as a coward. Natsu stepped in his way grabbing him. Though he also wanted to fight he knew that it was probably best for them not to.

All of sudden a loud scream echoed. Gray, Natsu, Leo and Gajeel turned around to see Levy being chased by two teenaged boys down the street. She was in a panic and Jet and Droy were nowhere in sight.

"Damian?" Leo barked as he turned to face the other boy. Damian shrugged pretending to be ignorant of what was going on while the other boys began to chuckle.

"Crap," Leo said as he, Natsu, Gajeel and Gray began to sprint after Levy.

"Well if I didn't know any better I would say that they're looking to pick a fight wouldn't you Teboo?" Damian asked rubbing his chin. He turned to face the other boy and nodded his head.

"Al right," Teboo said excitedly as he and his group began to chase after Natsu and the others.

Natsu turned to see Teboo and the other local kids following after them. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. "Gajeel look."

Gajeel turned around to see for himself. "Fuck those bastards!"

"What should we do?" Natsu asked as they continued to run after Gray and Leo. "Leo!" Natsu shouted.

"Yeah?" Leo asked not turning around to look at Natsu. They hadn't gotten far and already they were coming back up to the grassy knoll. But they also saw Jet and Droy running that way too from the other direction with two other local kids pursuing them.

"They're following us! Teboo and his friends!" Natsu yelled back.

'Shit!' Leo thought to himself. They were definitely going to be out numbered now. He hoped that Levy managed to outrun the boys following her and make it safely back to campus, but he figured that was only wishful thinking. Levy was small and she couldn't really run fast. He just hoped that if they hadn't caught her yet, not until they could get there to help her.

"Just keep running after Levy!" Leo told them. You'll get to fight those assholes once we make sure she's safe!"

"Hold her down Yomazu," the boy standing over Levy ordered. She struggled to break free but wasn't able to. The boy holding her down was far too strong. She kicked and she screamed but it didn't look like anyone was going to save her. Tears began to rush out of her eyes as she watched in horror.

"Hurry up Kawazu," the other boy said as he struggled to keep the flailing girl pinned to the ground. She may have been small but she still had some fight in her. "She's really starting to strain me out."

"Don't worry I'm going to teach this bitch a lesson for biting me!" Kawazu said as he lifted his foot in the air.

"NO DON'T!" Levy screamed.

"Shut up you stupid bi—"

Just then Kawazu was silenced as someone's fist struck the side of his cheek hurling him off to the side crashing into the grass. Before Yomazu had a chance to react a foot came barreling down directly in his face shattering his nose. His hand immediately reached for his face as blood squirted out like a fountain.

Levy took the opportunity to regain her composure and distance herself away from Yomazu. She wiped away her tears and patted some of the dirt off of her skirt when a hand reached down to help pick her up. "Thank you," she sniffed as she was lifted up to her feet. Once she stood up she was astonished to see that her rescuer was none other than Gajeel. "G-Gajeel?" Ley said in disbelief as she stared at the black haired boy.

Gajeel wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were focused on Yomazu and Kawazu. He waited for the two to get back up, but from the looks of it only Kawazu had been able to recover.

"Listen Levy," Gajeel said, "get back to school. You'll be safe there all right?"

"Okay," Levy said nodding her head. No one had to tell her twice. She knew it was dangerous and all she wanted was to get back to school where she would be safe. As she ran she took a quick look back at Gajeel her heart full of worry for the young man. As she ran their eyes met and for a moment the whole world seemed to have stopped. Gajeel gave her a friendly smile. Levy's face flushed as she turned away a little embarrassed. She turned around again only this time Gajeel had turned his attention back to her two assailants. Her heart began to beat quickly and she wasn't sure that it was from running.

"Asshole," Kawazu hissed as he stood back up rubbing his cheek. "Yomazu you okay?" Kawazu asked.

"I think he broke my nose!" Yomazu cried, his hands still covering his face. Blood poured from the open gaps and trickled down his face forming a pool around him.

"You stupid bastard," Kawazu hissed as he stood up, still clutching his cheek. "I'll make you pay—" he didn't even have time to finish before Gajeel kicked him across the head knocking him out.

Gajeel looked back to see how the other were doing. Jet and Droy were on the ground trying to regain themselves while Natsu and Gray were busy fighting one boy and Leo fought the other. Just a few paces behind them Gajeel could see Teboo and the others only a few meters behind them. Gajeel burst out in full speed running towards the others readying himself. A huge grin crossed his face as the adrenaline of a fight coursed through his veins.

Gray swung at the one boy who jumped backwards to avoid the blow only to be tripped up by Natsu. As the boy stumbled Natsu swung an upper cut nailing the boy in the abdominal just below the ribs. The blow lifted the boy a couple of centimeters off the ground before collapsing to his knees struggling for breath. He didn't have long before Natsu finished him off with a strong strike to the side of the head knocking the boy to the ground.

Leo didn't have a problem with his opponent. The boy took a swung at him that he easily dodged. Once he did he grabbed the boy from behind the neck and with all his strength threw him into the ground. The boy cried as a loud hit the ground with a loud thud. He coughed picking himself up, but once he did Leo grabbed his head and with all his might kneed the boy in the face knocking him unconscious.

"Now we got you!" Teboo yelled as he and the other dozen or so local kids came running up.

"Shit!" Gray cursed. He gazed back towards the school gate. They were still about 30 meters away. They could take the chance and run back to the school, but there were no guarantees that they were going to make it now. "What should we do?" Gray asked. "Should we try to fight all of them?"

"Your mine Natsu!" Teboo roared as he sprinted towards Natsu. Natsu's scowled as he turned to Gray and Leo. Leo thought of running back towards the school but like Gray he figured that they might not be able to out run the local kids now. They would have to fight. "I'm going to kick you ass!" Teboo bellowed.

"Bring it on bitch!" Natsu yelled as he ran forwards. Gajeel wasn't a step behind as he launched forward to. Leo and Gray turned to one another. The two of them exchanged nods before they too rushed forward.

**A/N: Oh guys I am so sorry this took so long for me to upload. I had midterms and essays and anyways I'm sure you don't want to hear me make excuses. Here's the latest chapter, hoped you enjoyed and I will be updating soon. Tried to get this out as fast as I could without trying to bored you all to death. Again thanks to everyone who reviews and thanks to everyone whose been reading this. I hope this isn't a disappointment!**


	15. Chapter 15

It was just another pristine day in Magnolia for the two children. The sun shined bright over the snow white sand of the beach. Not a single cloud was in the sky. Natsu sat there on that little hill of sand together with Lucy. The two of them were alone. Natsu lay there under the tree in the shadow resting his eyes while Lucy hugged her knees to her chest watching the surfers.

Natsu was in a peaceful bliss. The shade managed to block most of the sun rays and it wasn't too hot. The cool sand was soft like a gritty cushion. A soft gust of wind brushed by causing the large palm leaves to sway to and fro. There was nothing that could bother him.

As Lucy watched the surfers she played with the sand. She played with the sand, drawing faces and piling up sand in mounds. By adding little gaps in the sides she figured that it could pass as a castle. She suddenly heard the sound of a woman giggling. When she looked to see the source of the laughter she saw a couple standing near the hill. They were high school students and the girl was standing on the edge of the water in her bikini splashing her boyfriend.

Lucy smiled as she saw the boyfriend chase his girlfriend into the ocean. She splashed him once more before he grasped her hands causing the two of them to slip into the cold water. The two of them continued to laugh as they wiped the salty water from their eyes. The boy smiled at his girl friend as she continued to laugh. Then he pulled her into a deep kiss.

Lucy turned to Natsu and smiled as he slept beside her. "Hey Natsu," she quietly whispered in his ear. Natsu didn't stir. She leaned closer to him giggling all the while. "Hey Natsu," she whispered again, this time Natsu did move.

"Yeah?" Natsu whispered back not opening his eyes.

"Have you ever been kissed?" Lucy asked him gently. Natsu's eyes immediately shot open. He stared at her with a quizzical look.

"What?" Natsu asked confused. "I don't . . . I mean I haven't . . . I . . ." Natsu struggled to find the right words. Lucy giggled frantically as she watched Natsu get all flustered.

"It's an easy question Natsu," Lucy sighed rolling her eyes. "I mean have you ever been kissed."

"Uh . . . yeah," Natsu muttered. "Once . . . I think."

"What do you mean you think?" Lucy giggled.

"I mean I think I did," Natsu said to her sitting up. "Unless to was a dream."

"So that means no," Lucy said determinedly.

"I guess," Natsu pouted crossing his arms over his chest. "What does it matter? Why would I want to kiss a girl anyways they're icky. Plus that's how people get diseases like rabies."

"You're such an idiot Natsu," Lucy laughed rolling her eyes.

"What?" Natsu scowled turning away from her.

"So you've never been kissed?" Lucy said tauntingly. Natsu didn't reply to he just looked away from her. Lucy blushed as she scouted closer to her Natsu. He turned to her puzzled. "Well would you like to be?" Lucy smiled at him her face began to turn pink.

"What?" Natsu gasped.

"Would you like to kiss me?" Lucy said blushing moving closer to him.

"I . . . ugh," Natsu's face flushed as he saw her face inch ever closer to his. He didn't pull away he just stared into her eyes. His heart began to race ever so faster. The world was spinning around him he was becoming dizzy. His focus was on her and her sweet cherry lips. He actually wanted to kiss her back.

"Lucy! Natsu! What are you two doing?" a voice shouted. Lucy immediately pulled away as she looked for the voice that was calling them. Natsu was frozen in place, his heart no longer beating. He couldn't believe what just happened.

When Natsu peered over to see who it was that was calling for them he saw Gray walking up to them, Erza and Lissanna right behind him. "Hey guys what'd ya doing?" Gray asked.

"Damn it Gray!" Natsu yelled as he leapt at the other boy.

"Natsu what are you do—" Gray tried to say before being tackled by Natsu. The two of them went tumbling down the hill and back onto the beach. "What's wrong with you?" Gray shouted as Natsu tried to strangle him.

"You idiot!" Natsu yelled.

"What's wrong with Natsu?" Erza asked cocking an eyebrow at Lucy.

"I haven't the slightest clue," Lucy said smiling innocently.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to beat your ass!" Teboo roared as he charge for Natsu.<p>

"Bring it," Natsu shouted back at him.

Teboo lifted his fist in the air once Natsu was in reach. As he brought it down for a blow Natsu sidestepped and punched Teboo in the side of the gut knocking the other boy to the side. He then swept Teboo's legs from underneath him causing the boy to topple over backwards onto the grass. It wasn't long before Natsu had another boy come running at him. Before he could react the boy wrapped his arms around his body and tackled him onto the grass. Once he had Natsu on the ground he raised his fist in the air. As the boy brought his fist down Natsu quickly dodged it jerking his head at the last second. The boy yelped in pain as his had hit the ground. Natsu than took the opportunity head the boy in the stomach and rolling over knocking the boy off.

Natsu quickly moved to get back to his feet as he saw Teboo running at him with another boy. Everyone else was already busy in their own fights and he knew that he was going to have to fight on his own. It didn't matter the boy who had just tackled him was back on his feet and charging. The boy was sprinting at him in full speed. To the boy's surprise dove at the boy's legs and lifted him up. Once he had him up he slammed the boy on the ground knocking the air out of him.

The poor boy rolled on the ground coughing and gasping for air. Natsu knew he didn't have long before the boy would get back into the fight, but at the current moment Teboo and the other boy were right on top of him. Teboo attempted to punch Natsu, put it was more of a fling and Natsu easily avoided it by jumping backwards. The other boy attempted to attack Natsu's legs, but as soon as he went for them Natsu kneed him in the face crushing his nose. Blood ejected from the boy's nose as he fell to the ground grasping at the gushing wound.

Now it was only Natsu and Teboo. The two glared at each other waiting for the other to make a move. Natsu didn't drop his guard though, he half expected someone to try and attack while he wasn't looking. But he made sure that most of his attention was on the boy in front of him

"Hold on there Teboo," Natsu heard someone say. He recognized the voice and wasn't surprised at all when he saw Damian walking towards them a smug look on his face. "I'm going to fight Natsu."

"Fuck no this fucker is mine!" Teboo roared. "I'm the one fighting him!"

"You can fight him another time," Damian said as he took a step next to Teboo. "Right now I'm the one that's going to fight him."

"Bull shit!" Teboo yelled. Damian scowled at him and to Natsu's utter shock Damian actually punched Teboo square in the side of the jaw. The boy went tumbling down to the ground grasping at his jaw.

"Doesn't matter," Natsu said as he took his stance. "I'll beat all of your asses." Damian just laughed.

* * *

><p>Gajeel and Gray were both struggling. Gray was cornered and was too busy with his arms raised up to defend himself from what seemed like a never ending barrage of punches. He had lost all feeling as an older just continued to punch at him in every direction. He couldn't even get a punch of his own in. It wasn't until Leo stepped in and punched his opponent in the side of the head that Gray managed to break away and regain himself.<p>

"You all right?" Leo asked as he dodged a punch. He took a quick side step and swung his fist deep into the side of the boy who attempted to punch him and than with his other hand punched him in the side of the face right on the boy's eye knocking him over.

Another pair of boys ran at them. When they were within range Leo kicked on boy in the gut and dodge another boy's punch. After dodging the blow he grabbed the boy's arm and threw him to the ground. Than he went after the boy he had just kicked. The boy was now standing back upright. He took a step towards Leo who jumped in the air and kicked the boy right in he thigh. He boy cried out in bay grasping at his leg as he fell to the ground. Almost immediately another boy came running in. He attempted to also punch Leo who stepped to the side and with his own fist he struck the boy in the ear. That boy yelled as he grabbed his ear. Before the boy even had a chance to react Leo swung his leg around and struck the boy directly face. With a thump the boy fell to the ground.

Gajeel on the other hand was struggling in his own fight. He punched one of his on coming assailants but than another boy came jumping in from his left and kicked him in the back of the knee. Gajeel let out a scream in pain as he fell down to one knee. No sooner had he fallen to the ground had another boy jumped on his back from behind. He attempted to grab the boy and throw him off but the boy locked his arms around his throat in a chokehold. Gajeel tried to pry the boy's arms from his neck but was kicked in the face by another.

Gajeel covered his face he could feel the blood from his nose running down his cheek. Though that wasn't the worse of it, his vision was starting to go blurry as he was now struggling to breath. Slowly his vision was going black until suddenly the boy who was choking him grip began to loosen. His vision had come back and he was able to throw the boy off of him, but that wasn't the end of it because as soon as he was back on his feet he left his abdominal area wide open and the boy who was kicking him in the face struck him with a full on blow in the stomach. The punch was so strong Gajeel was lurched over coughing. Almost immediately after the same boy punched him in the side of he jaw knocking him to the ground once again as the other boy who had kicked him in the knee began kicking him with the boot of his foot over and over.

Gajeel managed to swipe one of the kicks to the side and with a fierce blow struck the boy right in groin. The boy let out a cry as he collapsed to the ground crying in pain. The other boy managed to soccer kick to Gajeel right beneath his chin. He felt his teeth chip and blood spew from his lips. Than Gray jumped in from the side and side kicked the boy in the gut. His face was battered and bruised, blood pouring out from gashes all along his face. Gajeel was surprised to see Gray in such a state but he didn't worry about it just yet. Gajeel saw that the boy who recently had him in the chokehold was getting back onto his feet his nose was bleeding and his eye was swollen.

Gray managed to break away from the fighting for a second as Leo had just saved him from some of his assailants. He than saw Gajeel being held on the ground in a chokehold by one of the local kids as another boy was busy kicking him in the face. Two boys now came running at him but he knew he had to help Gajeel. Without hesitating he ran straight for him and full on booted the boy who had Gajeel in a chokehold directly in the face breaking his nose and causing his grip to loosen. Than Gray found himself being tackled from behind. The two boys managed to catch up to him. One boy sat on his chest and grabbed his hands while the other began to pound him profusely in the face.

Gray struggled to break free but he was stuck. The boy who was punching him had taken a second to catch his breath. Gray took the opportunity to head butt the boy on top of him in the face. He struck the boy in the mouth his head colliding with the boy's teeth with the soft tissue of skin between them. The boy let go and grabbed his mouth as blood began to ooze out from his lips. The other boy looked at his friend and then tried to punch Gray, but Gray rolled to his side avoiding the blow and bucked the boy off of him. The other boy attempted to grab Gray and punch him but Gay swept the boy's legs from underneath him tripping to the ground. He didn't care about this boy the boy who was holding him down was busy looking at his bloody hands. He left a wide open shot to Gray who kicked the boy in the cheek knocking him over and then he punched the boy in the throat.

He felt a punch in his lower back as the other boy had attacked him from behind. Gray turned to him as the boy jumped at him and wrapped his hands around Gray's throat and attempted to force him to the ground. Gray hadn't fallen to the ground though his legs felt wobbly and wanted to give in. Instead Gray punched the boy in the side constantly and once the boy's grip had loosened he thrust the boy's hands from his throat and delivered a head but directly in the center of the boy's face. Immediately the boy dropped to the ground and wasn't moving.

Gray watched to see if either the boys were making a move. When he knew that it was safe he went back to help Gajeel by delivering a kick to the opponent's chest. He turned to see how Leo was doing and to his total awe he saw that the other boy was nearly unscathed, only a few blows had hit him and even though there was blood on him almost none of it was his own.

Leo dodged another boy's attack and immediately began to launch a series of punches into the boy's gut and side causing him to topple over and grasp his stomach. One boy attempted to jump him from behind and grabbed his arms, but Leo was too fast as he spun around and got behind the boy instead. As though in a fluid motion he swung around behind the boy grabbed him by the throat and slammed him to the ground. Two more boys moved in on him as he jumped backwards avoiding one boy's kick but the other kept charging. He dodged the charging boy by sliding to the side and then he grabbed the boy from behind wrapping his arm's around the boy's waste. Then again as though it was all one fluid motion he lifted the boy up and suplexed him into the ground. That boy was down and he wasn't moving after he hit the ground.

The other jumped at Leo bear hugging him and trying to press his weight down on him to take him to the ground. Leo swung himself from his toes and even though he and his attacker fell to the ground he wound up on top. The boy in desperation broke his grip, but Leo had grabbed his throat and had him pinned. The boy managed to punch Leo on his cheek, but it was such a weak blow it didn't even phase the red haired prefect. He then lifted his head in the air and with crushing force smacked his forehead on the boy's nose. Blood ejected out spraying Leo in the face as the boy cried in pain grabbing his nose.

Leo stood up. He noticed some of the other local boys were getting back to their feet. Many had been badly hurt and blood was pouring from their faces but they were still willing to fight. One boy came sprinting at Leo who raised his fist and just punched the attacker in the eye knocking the down to the ground. Another boy came running from the side and managed to strike Leo on the cheek, but Leo was already bringing his fist up and struck that boy beneath the chin knocking him off his feet and then Leo began to deliver a barrage of punches to the boys gut before reaching his fist back and striking him just to side of his eye knocking him to the ground.

But no sooner had he struck that boy another came in and kicked him in the gut knocking some of the air out of him. Leo gasped trying to regain himself but was dealt a quick blow to his cheek but swung his body around and tried to punch his assailant. Only this time the boy managed to dodge and punched Leo square in the face, his nose began to leak blood, but Leo knew that it wasn't broken. The boy then began to pummel Leo in the stomach with more and more blows as Leo desperately gasped for air. He finally managed to get a quick draw of breath as he fell to his knees but was dealt a blow to his cheek knocking him to the ground.

The boy stood over him breathing heavily. Leo managed to kick the boy in the gut causing him to also fall to his knees. Leo than stood up and in a desperate attempt swung his arm; not a punch he just prayed that it landed on its mark and to his relief it did. He hit the boy in the side of the head knocking him over. Leo had a chance to catch his breath as he looked over to Gray and Gajeel. Both of them were holding off their opponents, but both of them were gushing blood and were fighting like wounded animals now.

Gray and Gajeel were trying their best to fight off their opponents. Some of the boys they had already fought had gotten back to their feet and were attacking them. Gray kicked on boy in the leg only to have another boy punch him in the face, while another boy punched him in the gut. He couldn't stand anymore and he fell to the ground. Gajeel managed to grab on boy and threw him to the ground but had lost his balance in the process. One boy came up from behind him and kicked him in the back of the knee causing him to fall down again. As soon as he went down one boy delivered a blow to his face knocking him to the ground on his back. Blood was oozing from so many wounds in his face it was hard for him to even see now.

Both Gray and Gajeel were lying on the ground each of them gasping for air as a barrage of kicks and curses were delivered onto them. They were both weak, and neither of them could manage to get back up. They waited to find an opening but they noticed that the kicks were getting weaker as their attackers were running out of energy. All of them looked severely wounded and all of them were bleeding in way or another.

* * *

><p>Natsu growled at Damian as the boy laughed at him tauntingly. Natsu quickly rushed at the older teen his fist raised high ready to deliver a strike. A little to his surprise Damian stood in a fighting stance ready for him. As soon Natsu attempted to punch him Damian ducked and almost instantly nailed him in the gut with four jabs. The blows Natsu to hunch over, he felt as though the air had been knocked out of him, but he tried to defend him stomach from any more attacks. But no sooner had he gone down to defend his stomach that Damian slid over to the side and stood back up to deliver a punch directly on Natsu's temple and knocked him over.<p>

The blow caused Natsu to trip over himself as he struggled to regain his balance. No sooner had he regained his footing than Damian delivered a kick right to his gut knocking him down to his knees. Once Natsu had landed on his kneed Damian swung his boy around and kicked Natsu in the back of the head causing him to land hard onto the grass. He immediately picked himself back up jumping to the side in order to avoid another potential blow.

He hated it, Damian was fast, really fast and he hadn't expected it. But he wasn't going to let that deter him from beating the punk.

Natsu charged at the older teen and once he was in distance he attempted to kick the boy. To his utter shock Damian caught his leg in the air. Once he had caught it Damian raised his elbow high and drilled it down hard onto Natsu's thigh. Natsu let a yell of pain as Damian swept his one leg from underneath him causing him to fall down. Still holding Natsu's leg Damian lifted up his own foot and fiercely stomped on Natsu's throat. Natsu gasped as he felt his throat collapsing in on him. He grabbed at it rolling on the ground in pain. Damian didn't let up. He kicked Natsu in the side repeatedly and then stomped on the back of Natsu's head. Natsu found himself curling up to defend his body from the oncoming blows.

Damian stopped kicking Natsu as he moved over to the front of him. Furiously he grabbed Natsu's hair and forced him back up. Natsu yelled in pain as he reached for Damian's hands, but was met with a blow to the nose, shattering the cartilage. Blood began to pour from his nostrils as he tried desperately to defend his face with one hand. It didn't matter Damian lifted him high enough that he had a clear line to Natsu's stomach and began to strike him wherever he saw opening.

Natsu couldn't breath. He was more focused on gasping for air than he was avoiding Damian's blows. Before he knew it Damian delivered a fierce blow to Natsu's right eye knocking him out of Damian's grip as he collided with the ground. Natsu struggled to get back to his feet, but Damian grabbed him by the side of the head and slammed it hard into the earth. Natsu yelled in pain, his head was rattled his vision became instantly blurry as a sharp pain coursed through his cranium. He felt nauseated and confused.

Natsu rolled to his back. He couldn't see, his vision was completely blurry and his head ached so bad he felt like someone had lit a fire in his skull. He couldn't breath, he couldn't see, the world was lost on him as Damian then again delivered another blow to his face making the searing pain even worse. Natsu rolled to his side and puked onto the grass. His body was stiff and he couldn't move and inch. He gasped for air trying to regain himself, but he couldn't. The burning fire in his head was too much for him and his throat felt like it had been stomped shut.

Damian looked down on him and laughed. "Teboo," he said breathing heavily to the on looking boy. Teboo wasn't amused he was watching the entire fight rubbing his chin from where Damian had punched him. He had wanted to fight Natsu and only Natsu he didn't care about the other boys. Gajeel was already getting his ass kicked by some of the other local kids so he didn't feel like he needed to intrude. "This is the kid that beat you guys? This little piece of shit? I'm ashamed of you?" Damian taunted with a grin. Teboo glared at him, but he didn't utter a word.

"Hey that's enough!" a voice roared from across the null. Everyone turned around to see teachers and other members of the faculty running towards the brawl. Gildarts and Makarov were running in front while several other teachers were right behind them.

"Oh shit," one of the local kids muttered as they began to run away. Leaving Gray and Gajeel on the ground still holding their bloody and bruised arms up in a defensive position. They were soaked in blood and their once white shirts were now completely red.

Leo was barely standing on his own two legs and had managed to hold his ground long enough against his attackers, but as soon as he saw the local kids running he collapsed under his own exhaustion. He breathed heavily sucking in whatever air he could muster. His face was battered and bruised but not as bad as he would have thought. His clothes were also heavily stained with blood, but most of it wasn't even his own blood.

"Well I guess that's our cue," Damian said to Teboo as he turned to run away. But he didn't take a step forward when Natsu quickly grabbed his leg. "What are you doing?" Damian asked as Natsu somehow manage to get back up to his feet.

"I'm . . . not . . . done . . . with you yet," Natsu gasped winded. Damian cocked an eyebrow at him as Natsu stumbled forward with his fist raised high in the air. It didn't matter Damian lifted leg up and kicked Natsu in the side of the jaw causing even more blood to shoot out from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.

"Stupid bitch," Damian chuckled before running after the others.

Natsu's vision grew darker until finally the world went black. A loud ringing echoed through his ears until finally silence.

**A/N: I FUCKING LOVE YOU GUYS! You guys have been leaving me great reviews and I'm thrilled to hear how much you guys enjoy it and you flatter me with your compliments. Thank you so much and I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story as much as you've been saying you have. I know you're all probably hating me for this chapter, but know that I love each and every single one of you and I will do my best to update ASAP!**


	16. Chapter 16

Natsu awoke in a daze. A was woken up by a bright light that was beaming in his eyes. It took him a couple of minutes before he could collect himself again he noticed that he was lying in a small white hospital room. He felt something heavy lying on his legs and when he looked to see what it was he saw a familiar bluish green cat sleeping on his lap. Natsu smiled as he watched Happy's stomach rise up and down with each quite breathe. When he sat up he just noticed that his foster father Igneel was sitting next to his head reading a book.

"Igneel?" Natsu said in disbelief when he saw the elderly man.

"Oh you're finally awake," Igneel said not turning his attention away from his book. He sounded bored and unenthusiastic. Natsu was relieved that his father's voice was void of anger, but he was concerned by the lack of enthusiasm he had for his foster son's consciousness. "It's about time."

"What are you doing here?" Natsu asked scratching the little kitten behind the ears. The little cat swayed around underneath the touch but wasn't woken up by it.

"I got a call from your principal," Igneel said casually looking up at Natsu. Natsu cringed under Igneel's leer as he watched his foster father place a bookmark on the page he had been reading and set the book down on a table resting next to his chair.

"Oh," Natsu said nervously. He knew what was coming next. But Igneel didn't say anything he just stared at the pink haired boy breathing lightly as though pondering what he was going to say next. Natsu said nothing but returned to petting Happy as he a waited what he was sure to be words of anger and disappointment.

After a few moments Igneel bent over and picked up something. Natsu's eyes widened as he saw his father pick up his scarf. It was scarlet with blood with spots of black dots, dirt and grass stains. Natsu's heart thumbed harder as sorrow immediately took him. The sight of his father staring at the piece of fabric heart broken immediately made Natsu full of grief. He turned his head away in shame he was on the verge of tears.

"You haven't even been here a month and already you're getting into fights?" Igneel said distantly as he clutched the scarf in his hands. "I let you come to school here in Magnolia because I thought you could have been more responsible than this."

"Igneel I'm so sorry," Natsu said as he began to cry. "But I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"I talked to your principal," Igneel said scornfully as he placed the scarf down and stood up to face Natsu. Igneel crossed his arms and glared down at the pink haired boy fiercely. Natsu couldn't even look at the elderly man, he was crying too hard. He knew he had let his father down and he half expected that he was going to be expelled for fighting. He wanted to tell his father that he didn't intend for it to get as bad as it had gotten. He wanted to apologize for being such a disappointment.

"Igneel I—"

"And after hearing everything your principal said," Igneel said raising his voice, "I have to say that I'm pretty fucking proud of you." As Igneel said this he pulled his foster son in for a strong hug. The old man attempted to fight back the tears that were filling his eyes, but he couldn't help himself. "And you have no idea how happy I am to see that you're alright."

"What?" Natsu said blinking as he hugged his foster father back. Had he heard his father right? He was sure of it, after all his father wasn't punishing him he was hugging him.

"I said I'm proud of you Natsu," Igneel said grinning as he pulled away from the boy. He took his seat again a look of pride beaming in his teary eyes as he watched his foster son's confused expression. "You're principal told me that you and your friends were forced to fight in order to save one of your classmates from being assaulted," Igneel said casually, but his face held a serious expression.

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief but it didn't help out with the confusion that he had. "So what did my principal say to you?" Natsu asked wiping away his own tears.

"Well from what I heard from your principal and friends you guys were on your way to lunch when you saw two boys attacking one of your classmates Levy. You guys immediately rushed in to help her but were met by a dozen or so other boys and were forced to fight," Igneel told him as smile crept across his face. "I'm proud that you went to help your classmate Natsu, but I wish you wouldn't have gotten yourself put into the hospital."

"Well if I cold have avoided it I would," Natsu said sarcastically. "But I really am sorry about the scarf."

"Don't worry about the scarf," Igneel said waving it off. "It can be cleaned, the important thing is that you're okay."

"Well I don't really feel all that okay," Natsu said rubbing his forehead. He still had a little headache but nothing that serious.

"Well there's good news and bad news," Igneel said inhaling a deep breathe. "The doctor's said that you have a concussion and a broken nose . . ."

'Shit!' Natsu thought. That was definitely serious.

"But thankfully that's all and the doctor's said you didn't suffer any brain damage despite you taking quite a few blows to the noggin," Igneel finished.

Natsu grabbed at his nose. He didn't have any bandages on his face but he noticed just how tender his nose was. He cringed under his own touch. Just then Happy stood up stretching with a yawn. It turned to him and meowed again as jumped up placing his paws on Natsu's chest.

"I see you got a new pet," Igneel said smiling as he stood up to take the cat off of Natsu.

"Yeah that's Happy," Natsu said as Happy rolled around in Igneel's hands. "I found him in school grounds and decided to keep him."

"Well that's good," Igneel said petting the little kitten as Happy rested his head on the old man's lap. "It's nice to have a pet once in a while to keep around."

"Yeah I almost forgot about the little guy," Natsu said smiling as he watched his cat meow softly before falling asleep again.

"Well Natsu there's other problems that have come up," Igneel said his voice serious. "The cops have gotten involved and they're very skeptical about what happened. So far it's word against word. The local kids said you guys started the fight because according to them you guys went out to attack two of their friends. Whereas Levy says she was attacked by those same two guys, but they say that they were attacked by her friends so for now no one can get a straight story."

"Well that's just bull shit," Natsu growled as he folded his arms across his chest. "I mean they attacked us and Levy plain and simple."

"It's not plain and simple Natsu," Igneel said shaking his head. "It's word against word and you should expect the cops to come in and question you soon, but from the looks of it the entire thing might just get thrown out. You have over a dozen local kids saying one thing and half a dozen Academy kids saying another. Plus you have one of the boy's father's getting involved who has all these high paid lawyers so you can expect that they'll probably just have the whole dismissed before the thing even gets to court."

"It's still bull shit," Natsu cursed as shaking his head.

"You're right it is but there's nothing you can do," Igneel told him. "The good news is you're not going to get punished by the school for negligence so you can at least be thankful for that."

"And what about Gray and Gajeel and Leo?" Natsu asked as he remembered his friend.

"They're fine; they took a lot of hits and were pretty beat up, but you're the only one that wound up in the hospital," Igneel said reassuringly. "Don't worry you'll see them when you get back to school."

Natsu sat back and sighed. Things had really gotten messed up for him. All he could think about was that kid Damian, the boy that had put him in the hospital. He couldn't believe that such a punk had done this to him. But as he thought about it he slowly realized that Damian was the leader of the other boys. He was the one making the taunts and the threats and he was the one that gave the other boys the command to attack them. He swore that he was going to get his revenge against him somehow.

Just then he heard a knock. Both Natsu and Igneel turned to see who it was. Natsu's eyes immediately shot up when he saw Lucy standing there in his doorway.

"Lucy?"

* * *

><p>During the lunch break at the local high school Damian was sitting at a large table with Teebo and the other boys who had been involved in the fight with Natsu and the others. They were all laughing as they taunted one of the boys for being rejected by one of the local girls. Damian watched laughing alongside the others as he drank his soda.<p>

Damian was mostly unscathed from the fight, but he couldn't say the same for the rest of his comrades. Many of them were bruised and battered. They were proud to show off their battle wounds they had received. They knew that most of their fellow classmates continued to turn and look at them. They were enjoying themselves and were incredibly happy to know that they weren't going to get into any trouble for what had happen. Even their teachers showed some concern about the boys injuries, but the boys just shook it off.

"What the fuck is this?" one of the other boys shouted as he stood up. Damian's attention immediately turned to see what the commotion was about. That's when he saw Sean standing over by the school entrance as a couple of local kids got in his face threatening and cursing at him. Sean wasn't wearing his school uniform but most of the local kids knew him all to well.

Sean pushed the two boys away but Damian was worried that Sean was only going to cause an uproar. It was fine when they did it off campus where no one could see them or where there weren't as many witnesses, but he knew that a fight on school grounds was a bad idea. Sure it was against school rules but if the school found out about the boys getting into so many fights, especially with the current situation that was only going to make things worse for them.

It was even worse for him personally. After all he was the class president and it only made him look bad. He knew he was going to have to interfere.

"Easy there boys," Damian said as he stood up. Many of the other high school kids watched as they thought that a fight was about to ensue. "Don't mess with Sean. You touch him and I'll personally kick your ass," Damian said jokingly but still had a serous undertone in his voice.

"Hey Damian," Sean said grinning as he greeted the older boy. The two boys clasped their hands together and then embraced in a light hug. "How'd it go?"

"Well those two retards nearly fucked up the entire thing," Damian said pointing over to Kawazu and Yomazu. "But don't worry it all worked out in the end."

"So you beat up Natsu?" Sean asked eagerly. Damian had a wicked grin cross his face.

"Beat him up?" Teboo said out loud from the table. "He put that little bitch in the hospital!"

"I don't know what you guys are all happy about," Damian snapped at them. "As I recall the rest of you got your ass's kicked by **four** Academy kids!"

"Yeah but Leo was there too Damian," said one of the boys whined. "And he's almost as good as you."

"Yeah key word there is almost," Damian sighed shaking his head. But then he turned back to Sean and his grin returned.

"Awesome," Sean shouted gleefully as he leaned back to laugh. "Thanks Damian I really appreciate it. You have no idea how thankful I am that you did this."

"Of course Sean," Damian said patting the younger boy on the back as he brought him in close. "What are big brothers for?"

**A/N: So apparently some of you guys couldn't get chapter 16 so I'm re-uploading it again. Thank you all for your reviews and don't worry I will finish this as I go. Sorry it took so long for me to publish this I had midterms before Spring Break and then I had literally no writing time. So I managed to write this as I was driving back home. Sucks, but the next chapter will be better I promise**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR REVIEWS AND SUPPORT. AS I ALREADY TOLD MANY OF YOU I DO TAKE ANY ALL SUGGESTIONS TO HEART AND SERIOUSLY CONSIDER USING THEM IN THE STORY. THOUGH I MAY NOT ALWAYS USE IDEAS KNOW THAT I AM INCREDIBLY HAPPY TO READ ALL REVIEWS AND LISTEN TO ALL FEEDBACK. MY THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN ENJOYING THIS STORY!**

"Lucy?" Natsu said in disbelief as he stared at the blonde haired girl standing in the doorway. She appeared to have a gloomy expression on her face as she leered over at him.

"Ah Lucy it's so good to see you again," Igneel said standing up with a great big smile across his face. As he stood up Happy jumped from his lap onto the ground and back up onto Natsu's bed. Igneel made his way over to the young girl with his arms wide open ready for a hug.

"Hello Mr. Dragneel," Lucy muttered under a faint smile. She sounded a bit disheartened as the elderly man embraced her. She didn't hug back though as she just let him wrap his arms around her lightly and smiled at him as he pulled away.

"My you've grown up into such a lovely young woman," Igneel said as he returned her smile with a half grin of his own.

"Thank you Mr. Dragneel," Lucy said softly as she kept her eyes on the still dumbfounded Natsu. Igneel's eyes darted back and forth between the two teenagers.

"Oh I see," Igneel sighed with a chuckle. "Well I'm going to take off and let you two talk." With that Igneel took his leave stepping out of the room. "It was nice to see you again."

"It was nice to see you too," Lucy said as she watched the elderly man leave. Once Igneel had left the room Lucy glided over to Natsu's bed as the pink haired boy watched her.

"Lucy what are you—" Natsu was cut off as Lucy slapped him. "What was that for?" Natsu asked astounded clutching his cheek.

"You idiot!" Lucy cried angrily. "How could you do something so stupid?" Natsu stared at her in shock and awe completely confused as to what was going on. Lucy seemed to be fuming and her face had turned a light shade of pink. As she glared at him she crossed her arms across her chest which made Natsu that much more uneasy.

"Lucy I don't understand," Natsu gasped as he rubbed his cheek where she had slapped him.

"Of course you don't understand because you're an idiot!" Lucy growled at him. Natsu recoiled under her leering eyes. He had never seen this side of her before.

"Well I don't think I deserve this," Natsu moaned.

"Yes you do," Igneel called from the hallway. Natsu and Lucy both turned to the doorway though it was vacant.

"Damn it dad!" Natsu shouted.

"Sorry, sorry," Igneel called back. "I'm not going to eavesdrop anymore. I'm off to the cafeteria to get something to eat anyways."

"Can you believe him," Natsu said shaking his head, but it didn't deter Lucy's harsh glare at him.

"Don't change the subject," Lucy hissed as she leaned down only inches away from Natsu's face. Natsu's face flushed a light pink as Lucy was only centimeters away from his.

"Listen Lucy I don't understand why you're so angry with me?" Natsu said as his eyes darted from her eyes to her lips. He was so tempted to just lean in and kiss her, but in her current state he believed that maybe that wasn't the best idea.

"It's because you're an idiot!" Lucy said scowling at him.

'I think that's already been well established,' Natsu thought to himself.

"How can you be so stupid to put yourself in the hospital?" Lucy scoffed as she threw her hands in the air. "You have any idea how worried we were about you? When the ambulance came to pick you up! You have any idea what it was like to see them carry you away unconscious on a stretcher?" Natsu just gawked at her. "Let me tell you it was terrifying?" Lucy said as she jabbed a finer in his face. "We were worried to death and all because you just had to go looking for trouble."

"I wasn't looking for trouble!" Natsu cried folding his arms. Lucy scowled grew that much colder. "I was only helping the others protect Levy from those assholes."

"You knew that the local kids love to pick fights with any Academy kids that leave the campus," Lucy said shaking her head. "You knew full well what you were getting into. I should have known, you've always been so reckless."

"Where is this coming from?" Natsu said confused. "You're really starting to sound like Erza."

"If you think I'm mad just wait until Erza gets ahold of you," Lucy said as a wicked smirk crossed her face. The sight of which made Natsu feel even more uncomfortable than he already did. Lucy was becoming too much like Erza, perhaps it would be better if she didn't hang out with the red so much anymore; she was starting to become a bad influence.

"Well that's certainly not reassuring," Natsu sighed. He knew that perhaps it was better for him to avoid Erza for the time being.

"It shouldn't be," Lucy said folding her arms across her chest. After a couple of seconds she sighed and the scowl on her face slowly faded away. "Listen Natsu I'm just upset because I was really worried about you."

Lucy wasn't angry anymore she seemed more concerned now, not necessarily worried but still somewhat concerned. Her eyes were gentle and they had a friendlier feel; the sight of which made Natsu calmer. Her body became more relaxed and less tense than it had been when she was yelling at him. Natsu watched as she brushed her hair back with a sigh.

"Well Lucy I'm sorry about all this and I never meant to make you feel upset," Natsu said shaking his head.

"I know," Lucy said smiling sweetly at Natsu. Natsu felt so much more relieved to see her smiling at him now. Lucy wasn't herself when she wasn't smiling and it was even more of a relief to Natsu to see her not acting like Erza; that was scary enough as it is.

Natsu sat back up a wide grin stretched across his face. He chuckled at her as her face lit up with joy. "I'm sorry for snapping at you Natsu," Lucy apologized. "It's just that I was so worried about you when they took you away in an ambulance . . ."

"Well I'm better now Lucy so there's no need to worry any more," Natsu said reassuringly, holding onto his grin. He was happy to hear her so concerned about him. He didn't know she cared that much about him.

"I know and am I really happy to see that," Lucy said as she placed her hand on the left side of his face and inched ever closer to him. Natsu's face flushed a deep scarlet red as her hand gently caressed his cheek.

Lucy began to blush herself as she came closer to Natsu. The boy's heart began to race, beating ever so fast that it literally hurt his chest. He couldn't breathe his eyes just focused on the blonde girl's lips as they came ever closer to his. Each second was like a year taking too long to for her lips to reach his. He wanted to just move in himself and kiss her.

"Knock, knock" a voice boomed from the door. Lucy's eyes went wide as she immediately pulled back from Natsu shielding her face in embarrassment. Her face grew pink. "What's up guys?"

Natsu blinked he couldn't believe what just happened. Still stunned he turned to the door to see Lisanna standing in the doorway with her siblings. Mira stood there smiling as she always did while Elfman only appeared annoyed. Lisanna had a friendly grin on her face and appeared to be just a little too excited.

Happy was stirred awake from Natsu's lap as he joyfully jumped out of the bed and dashed towards the door. The kitten purred softly as he brushed against the legs of the three white haired siblings, but more Lisanna than the others. The youngest sibling reached down to pet the little guy. She smiled at him as the cat purred under her hand and moved around happily; his tail erect.

"Oh hey guys," Lucy said flustered. "What's up? I was just telling Natsu what a big idiot he was for getting into that fight."

"Well don't be too hard on him Lucy," Lisanna said as she and her siblings entered the room. "He's still recovering you know?"

"But it's good to see him doing better," Mira said as the three of them walked in and now stood at the foot of Natsu's bed. Elfman on the other hand made his way to the other side of Natsu, carrying a look of pride and approval.

"You should be proud Natsu," Elfman said patting the pink haired boy on the back, "you fought like a real man. Shame that you lost but you stood your ground against many worthy foes. With a little help and training you can become a really strong."

"Thanks I guess," Natsu said not necessarily sure how he should feel about the compliment. "So what are you guys doing here?"

"Well Lisanna was concerned about you and she wanted to come in and check up on you," Mira said as Lisanna blushed a little. Her eyes darted away from Natsu as she bit her lip in embarrassment. Natsu felt both grateful and confused, he felt flattered that Lisanna was concerned but she didn't have to come to the hospital to see him.

"Yeah well I heard Lucy was coming so I thought it be best if you saw some friendly faces when you woke up," Lisanna said still not looking over at Natsu, she brushed her hair backwards behind her ear.

"And besides what kind of man doesn't want to wake up after a great battle with a group of beautiful women standing by his side?" Elfman said patting Natsu on the back again. Natsu had no idea what the hell Elfman was talking about, but then again it was Elfman and he never really that much sense anyways.

"Well thanks guys it's really great to see all of you again," Natsu said grinning. "I'm really touched you all care so much about me."

"Of course we care about you Natsu," Lisanna said smiling softly at him. Natsu blushed a little when he heard Lisanna say this. Natsu turned to Lucy and for a brief moment she looked like she was scowling at Lisanna, but he couldn't be sure. Because no sooner had he thought he saw it that it disappeared and Lucy was back to being her old friendly self again.

"Of course Natsu you're a really good friend of ours," Lucy said softly as she placed a friendly palm on his other shoulder.

'Friend?' Natsu thought to himself in dismay. 'Is that all she see's me as? A friend?' His heart sank a little but he didn't let his complexion change he just returned the smile.

"Well I hope I'm not interrupting anything," an elderly man's voice said from the doorway.

"Mr. Chive?" Natsu said in confusion as he saw his teacher standing there in the doorway smiling awkwardly.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile back at the Academy Levy sat outside the front of the main entrance reading a book. She sat on a mahogany bench located on the outer circle under one of the many maple trees in the schoolyard. Even though it was the beginning of autumn it was still a warm sunny day without a cloud in the sky. The branches swayed just above the young girl's head as a cool wind blew.<p>

Levy sat there peacefully deeply enticed in her book. Levy loved to read books, but none other than certain "romance" novels. Her face flushed a little when she came upon some of the more "intimate" scenes in the novel. She didn't usually allow others to see her reading these certain books, but it was her free period since she had already completed some of her required courses over the summer. Though she could be studying for other classes or finishing her homework early she had other reasons as to why she waiting outside the school.

As she sat there her attention was snapped as the loud ring of the school bell went off and echoed throughout the courtyard. She had never known it to be that loud before but perhaps it was because today seemed more quiet than usual. She had nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard the bell and her heart was racing, but she soon calmed herself after a few breaths.

She returned to her book, however her eyes continued to dart to the main school door as she waited for the other students to start appearing. As she her eyes darted to and fro from the pages she watched eagerly as students walked outside. It was awhile as her gaze passed from one student to another, many of them walked with friends or decided to stand around and talk. She waited awhile until she finally saw the target she was after.

Gajeel walked out of the front door his backpack swung around his shoulder. He was tired and worn out. School was certainly not his strong suit and more often than not he found himself falling asleep from boredom. Though sleep was the last thing Gajeel looked like he needed. His face was ravaged from the fight he had the previous day. A bandage was wrapped around his forehead and over his left eye. His lips were split open and jaw appeared to be somewhat crocked. His nose was a deep shade of black and blue and he walked with a limp.

Most of the other students gave him odd looks but shied away when his glare turned to them. Gajeel may have looked like he was critically injured but his eye still held a fierce glare. He slowly staggered down the stairs and tried to maneuver through the crowd of students but he was slow to pass. He didn't have as much strength to force his way like he did when he was healthy and it aggravated him.

Upon seeing Gajeel Levy stood up and placed her book in her backpack and made her way over to the damaged boy. She waited until Gajeel was in the open before approaching him.

"Hey Gajeel," Levy greeted him with a friendly smile. Gajeel turned to her, his face still stern and serious. Though it didn't deter her from him.

"Huh?" Gajeel said surprised that someone was talking to him. "What do you want?"

"Do you mind if I talk to you?" Levy asked clasping her hands behind her back. She was a little nervous her heart throbbed like crazy in her bosom as she bit her lip.

"Why?" Gajeel asked as he turned to continue to walk away. Levy watched as he wobbled, her face became full of concern for the boy. She sighed as she walked up next to him. Gajeel limped so slowly it didn't take more than a couple of steps for the small to catch up.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me the other day," she said giving him her best smile. Gajeel peered at her through the side of his eye. His grave expression didn't change at all.

"You don't need to thank me for anything," he sighed in annoyance. "All I did was take out two assholes who had what was coming to them."

"Either way I still feel like I should thank you for it," Levy said, her sweet smile didn't fade at all despite Gajeel's grim expression.

"Like I already said there's no need to thank me," Gajeel told her.

"Well I feel like I owe you so how about this," Levy said stepping in front of him. Gajeel stopped his eyebrows cocked in confusion and intrigue. Levy was nervous if her heart wasn't racing before it certainly was now. Even though she kept her smile up deep down she could feel her knees shaking. She didn't know why, but then again she had never done anything like this before. "How about you and me have lunch sometime? Maybe Firday? I'll pay for it as a thank you."

"Thanks but no thanks," Gajeel sighed turning away from her. "No offense but I already have plans for Friday."

"Oh," Levy sighed sadly. "Well what about Saturday?" Levy asked eagerly, perhaps a little too excited.

"Well I got a doctor's appointment on Saturday," Gajeel said scratching his chin. Levy's heart sank as the smile on her face faded as she became more distraught. She felt like she was on the verge of tears.

"Forget it," Levy mumbled under her breath.

"Huh?" Gajeel asked looking down at her confused. "What's with you?"

"I said forget it," Levy said smacking Gajeel with her backpack knocking the already crippled boy down to the ground. In one full motion the depressed girl made a dash for the girl's dormitory, every student that was in her way stepped aside to let the small girl through.

Many of the bystanders looked on in confusion as the boy struggled to regain his feet. A couple boys even stepped up to try and help Gajeel but he knocked their hands aside as he refused assistance. "What's with her?" Gajeel grunted as he turned to the girl's dormitory where Levy had disappread.

"Oh Gajeel you really are an idiot," a voice said as a hand clasped his bruised shoulder. Gajeel winced under the pain but turned to see that the hand belonged to Leo.

Leo was not much better than Gajeel; he had a bandage wrapped around his forehead and half his face was bruised. He wore a darker pair of sunglasses than he usually did to hide his eye injuries. His lip was split open like Gajeel's but not nearly as severe. On the other hand Leo still held onto his sly grin as he appeared to be more than a little interested in what was going on between Gajeel and Levy.

"Why what'd I do?" Gajeel asked puzzled. He was honestly dumbfounded as to what was going on.

"You really don't see it?" Leo asked bewildered.

"See what?" Gajeel growled.

"That our sweet, innocent, beautiful Levy was trying to make a move on you," Leo said teasingly, his sly grin growing ever the more wider.

"No she wasn't," Gajeel chuckled. "She was just trying to pay me back for saving her the other day. I don't know why she flipped out and hit me but than again women are crazy."

"Oh, Gajeel, Gajeel, Gajeel," Leo sighed rubbing his eyebrows in agitation. "Yes women are crazy and, but that girl was straight up asking you out. How could you be so dense."

"Well how am I suppose to know those things?" Gajeel asked irritated.

"It's like you said Gajeel," Leo said grinning again. "Women are crazy."


	18. Chapter 18

The young teenagers stood there staring at the English teacher standing in the doorway. Each were just as confused as any of the others. Lucy turned to Lisanna with a quizzical expression but Lisanna just gave her a shrug as her answer. Mira continued to hold her sweet grin. Natsu sat there in his bed gawking at Gildarts before looking between each of his friends hoping that someone will give him an answer as to what was going on.

"Hey guys sorry to interrupt," Gildarts said smiling awkwardly. He looked incredibly uncomfortable as he scratched the back of his head hoping to ease the uneasy tension in the air.

"Hello Mr. Clive," Mira said as she walked up to greet him.

"Hey Mira it's good to see you again," Gildarts said to her with a friendly grin. "I hate to be a bother but I need to talk to Natsu if that's okay?" Gildarts' attention fell on Natsu, his expression became that much more serious. Natsu retracted under his teacher's glare a cold tingling feeling rolled down his spine.

"Well certainly Mr. Clive," Mira said nodding her head. She turned to her siblings and Lucy beckoning them to follow her out of the room. Elfman complied almost instantly, but Lisanna and Lucy were hesitant in leaving. Lisanna turned back to Natsu her expression a little more depressed. "Lisanna?" Mira called her sister gently.

"Well I'll see you at school Natsu," Lisanna said sadly, but she flashed him a smile before following Mira and Elfman out of the room. Lucy on the other hand hadn't budged and she continued to watch Natsu her expression woeful. She sighed deeply before her smiled returned.

"Well I guess I'll see you later too Natsu," she said softly. "Just do me a favor; don't be stupid and get yourself hurt again all right? I don't need to worry about you anymore for being a complete idiot." With that Lucy turned to leave. Natsu's heart sank. He wanted to say goodbye to her, he wanted to say something to her, anything to her, but he couldn't. As he watched her leave his heart grew heavy.

Lucy smiled at Gildarts as she made her way past him through the doorway. Gildarts stepped aside to let her bypass nodding his head in a gesture of a farewell. She quickly brushed passed him and walked down the hall where Mira and her siblings were waiting for her just outside in the hallway.

Once Lucy had left Gildarts turned his attention back to Natsu, his expression grave. Natsu suddenly felt himself go stiff. Gildarts soon made his way over to Natsu's bed and let out a deep breath once he arrived at the foot of it. "Well it's seems that you got yourself into a bunch of trouble again Natsu," Gildarts sighed. "You know that you can't keep doing this and expect to get away with it right?"

"I know," Natsu sighed. "It's not like I was looking for any trouble." Although Natsu knew that was probably untrue. He had wanted to vent some of his anger out on something and fighting had always been the way that he had done it. Perhaps deep down he knew that the reason he and Gajeel had always gone to eat lunch off campus was purely to find more encounters like they did the first day.

"Well Natsu sometimes you don't have to be looking for trouble for trouble to find you," Gildarts said scratching his head. "I came here because I wanted to scold you and I didn't want to do it at school, and because I also wanted to make sure you were okay. But I don't think I really can. After seeing how badly you got your ass kicked I figured that would teach you a lesson, until I found out that the boy after you was Damian Konstantine." Natsu scoffed at the mention of the name. He hated the mere mention of the name of that boy, almost as much as he hated the mention of Sean's.

"Fuck that guy," Natsu growled. "How do you even know him?" Natus asked cocking an eyebrow.

"He was an old pupil of mine," Gidlarts said as he took the seat next to Natsu's bed. "But ignore that for now, that's ancient history," Gidlarts said waving it off. "I came here because I'm concerned for you. If Damian has his eyes set on you than that isn't very good."

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"Because Damian is a very well trained mix martial artist Natsu," Gildarts said gravely. "He has been trained for you years how to fight and that's why he was able to knock you senseless."

'Does he have to keep reminding me that I got my ass kicked?' Natsu thought to himself.

"It's already clear that you're his target and you're in danger because of that," Gildarts sighed shaking his head. "That's why I want you to come train with me after school in the gym. We practice mix martial arts, judo and jiu jitsu there. At least this way I know that you'll be able to better protect yourself if the situation should ever arise again."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Natsu asked, though he was eager and a sudden burst of excitement filled him. "Because if it is I'm totally down for it!"

"It's a way to keep you safe and out of harm's way Natsu," Gildarts said sternly. "If you're going to work under me than you're going to have to behave. First of all there will be no fighting outside the gym period. Second, school always come first and you will continue to perform well in all your classes, and I don't want you doing the minimum of C level work, I want you to excel in your classes that's why you're here in the first place."

'Shit,' Natsu thought to himself. 'School was never his best subject. But he figured that if he worked hard enough he would be able to do well. Perhaps he would ask Leo or Levi for help. Yeah definitely go with Levi. She was a bookworm that knew everything, and he knew Jet and Droy were always cheating off of her or asking her for help.

"Lastly Natsu I want you to have fun and stop being so mopey," Gildarts said, a faint smile arose on his face. "You seem like you're always frustrated or angry at something. I don't know what it is that's bothering you but I want you to have some fun once in awhile, and not by fighting the local kids."

"Okay I got ya," Natsu said grinning widely.

"Dad are you done yet?" an annoyed voice called from the doorway. When Natsu turned to see whom the voice belonged to he was surprised to see an young woman he hadn't seen before. Gildart sighed in annoyance, but didn't turn to face the girl. She was tall with long flowing brunette hair and dark eyes and was no more than a couple of years older than him. Her face was grim and full of agitation, like she was ready to fight. What surprised Natsu even more was that she wasn't wearing the school uniform; she wore a light blue tank top that was cut short exposing her bare stomach and skin tight jeans that were cut short just above her ankles. She was kind of cute Natsu thought, but she was certainly a deadly beauty.

"Oh come now Cana," Gildarts sighed. "I haven't been here that long. I'm almost done talking to my student."

"You can talk to him at school," the brunette scoffed rolling her eyes. She crossed her arms across her bosom causing them to jiggle, the sight of which caused Natsu to blush. Though he was relieved that she didn't see him looking otherwise he probably be in the hospital longer than he would expect. "I'm hungry and I want to go get something to eat," she whined.

"Just go wait in the lobby and I'll be there in a second," Gildarts sighed. "I'm just about finished talking to Natsu, give me a few more minutes."

"Fine," Cana growled in defeat. She turned to leave but not before turning back to Natsu, a fierce glare in her eye. Something Natsu only saw Erza do and he felt his heart stop at the mere sight of it. "You're lucky you're cute and hurt," Cana warned him. But then she gave him a wink and leaving the room.

"Uh who was that?" Natsu asked bewildered.

"My daughter Cana," Gildarts said feeling awkward. "Sorry about that she can be kind of a pistol at time," Gildarts tried to chuckle it off but that only made the tension in the room that much more awkward.

"She scares me," Natsu said.

"She has that affect on people," Gildarts sighed. "Don't worry her bark is worse than her bite, but then again she does bite pretty hard."

"Well that's reassuring," Natsu said uncomfortably.

"Don't worry I'm sure you and her will get a long just fine," Gildarts said smiling at him. "After all she did say you were cute which is a bonus."

'Though I don't know how much good that will do me,' Natsu thought. 'She's almost as scary as Erza.'

"Well I should be going then," Gildarts said though he was reluctant to move from his chair. Natsu guessed from what he saw of Cana, perhaps Gildarts wasn't in too much of a rush to deal with that as soon. "Just promise me you're going to behave from now on all right?"

"Yeah," Natsu said nodding his head.

"Good then I'll see you in class soon," Gildarts said standing up. He offered Natsu a friendly grin before turning and leaving. Natsu watched as his teacher left the room, as soon as Gildarts was out of sight Natsu excitedly threw Happy into the air laughing as he did. The poor kitten was frightened as he was launched unexpectedly into the air and then caught in Natsu's arms. Before Natsu even had the chance to throw him back in the air Happy pried himself out of Natsu's hands and dashed across the floor.

"Oh come on Happy I didn't mean to scare you," Natsu called after the cat. Happy turned around and hissed at him before lying down in the corner.

As Gildarts walked down the hallway he felt the light touch of someone's hand on his shoulder. When he came to a stop he turned to see that the hand belonged to an elderly looking man with a large mane of red hair. "So you're Mr. Clive eh?" Igneel said offering a courteous grin and a handshake.

"That's me and you are?" Gildarts asked taking the elderly man's hand in his own.

"Natsu's father Igneel," the elderly man answered.

"Well it's nice to meet you Igneel," Gildarts said.

"I'm sorry about all the trouble the boy has caused you but I want you to know that I really appreciate all of it," Igneel told him. He noticed that Gildarts had a very firm handshake for just an English teacher.

"It's no problem Mr. Dragneel," Gildarts answered him. "Natsu's a good kid, he just doesn't know the right way to vent out his anger and frustration."

"Is that why you offered to teach him mixed martial arts?" Igneel asked.

"Yes," Gildarts said nodding his head. "I figured that it be a way to keep him out of trouble."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Igneel said shrugging. "The boy needs something like that in his life. I just don't know why he's always fighting all the time. It's nothing new, it started back when we fist moved from Magnolia, and I thought that perhaps he be better if he came here."

"It's not all Natsu's fault though," Gildarts said. "The boy who did this to him is a trouble maker himself; someone very dangerous and hostile to kids from the Academy although I don't know why he targeted Natsu."

"Are you sure he wanted to attack Natsu and not one of the other boys?" Igneel asked crossing his arms.

"Well that boy used to be friends with Leo until their relationship went sour, but it doesn't seem like this was a coincidence to me. It seems like this was a prepared fight," Gildarts said, his voice full of concern.

"Well I'm sure Natsu will behave himself better now . . . at least I hope he will behave himself better now," Igneel said.

"I do to Mr. Igneel," Gildarts said.

"Dad hurry up already!" Cana shouted from down the hall. Her arms were still crossed as she stood there annoyed and frustrated.

"I'm coming I'm coming," Gildarts called back to her.

"You're daughter?" Igneel asked, a small smirk crossed his face.

"Yeah," Gildarts sighed. "She just got back into town awhile ago and she's attending the academy as well."

"She seems like quite the spitfire," Igneel chuckled.

"Oh trust me she is," Gildarts laughed. "But she's my daughter and I have to take care of her— even if I don't want to."

"Dad!"

"All right all right I'm coming," Gildarts said in defeat. "Well it was nice to meet you Mr. Dragneel."

"Same here Mr. Clive," Igneel said giving the man a farewell handshake.

With that Gildarts took his leave, Cana still pestering in her spot waiting for him. Igneel watched as the teenaged girl began to give her father a hard time as the two of them left. Igneel had a good feeling about Gidlarts, and he was just knew that Natsu was in good hands with the man. He chuckled before heading back to Natsu's room.


	19. Chapter 19

Lucy returned to the Academy after her visit with Natsu. She was deeply depressed about the way she had treated him. 'Come on Lucy,' she though to herself. 'Natsu was in the hospital and you had to treat him like total crap?' She walked to the girl's dormitory her mind completely set on Natsu. She checked her phone and saw that she received another text from Sean asking her where she was and how she was doing. She swore she never did anything without Sean knowing about it. But he always told her it was because he really cared about her and that he was concerned especially with all the violence that's been going on.

She let out a deep breathe. It pained her deeply to see one of her dearest friends in such a state, but then again she rarely ever saw him at all. She didn't understand why. When they were kids they were inseparable. She had always loved spending time with Natsu and she was so incredibly excited to see that he had returned home to Magnolia, and she though, well more like hoped that they could go back to the way things were. But for some reason she never saw the pink haired boy anymore. Sean told her that Natsu was a no good trouble maker and she should avoid him, but that's not how she felt at all. But even so it seemed like he never wanted to see her, and most of the time he was out spending his lunch and free time with Gajeel and other friends. Maybe Natsu just didn't care about her anymore?

She banished the thought. 'No Natsu and I are still friends,' she told herself. 'Natsu had that lunch with us that one time. He wants to be friends, but why does he keep avoiding me?'

"Hey Lucy glad you're back," Lucy heard Levy say as the petite girl ran towards her. "So how did the visit go?" Levy asked with a wide smirk on her face. Lucy felt an uncomfortable stare come from Levy's eye as though she were thinking of something suspicious.

"It went okay," Lucy said shrugging, she stopped half way to the girl's dorm and sat down under one of the many trees with Levy. "It seemed like everything was going fine until—"

"Until what?" Levy asked earnestly.

"Well the Strauss siblings showed up to check on Natsu as well," Lucy sighed.

"Oh that's right," Levy said smacking her forehead. "Lisanna told me that they were going to visit him today." Lucy's face went pale and her expression sour. Levy saw the distraught in her blonde friend's face and her wicked smirk began to reappear. "I think Lisanna like Natsu, and I don't mean in that 'I like you as a friend sort of way.'" Levy teased Lucy who's face lit up with shock.

"What are you talking about Levy?" Lucy said giggling awkwardly. "They're just friends there's no romance between the two of them."

"Oh no I've seen the way she looks at him," Levy said with a flirtatious monotone, "she likes him. It looks like you might have a little competition for Natsu's affection Lucy," Levy teased. Lucy's face lit up a bright scarlet red.

"Now you're just being ridiculous Levy," Lucy said giggling trying to shake off the comment. "I have a boyfriend, Sean. I can't just go seeing other guys."

"Oh so you do like him," Levy said smirking as she inched closer to Lucy's face. Lucy grew an even darker shade of red her face expressionless as she pretended to act like this was all some sort of sick game.

"I never said that," Lucy said chuckling. "I mean I do like him as a friend, but that's all we are is friends."

"Yeah sure," Levy said sitting back resting herself against the tree. A light breeze blew past them bringing a refreshing chill to the otherwise warm day.

* * *

><p>It wasn't more than a day before Natsu was cleared from the hospital. The doctors told him he was fine and that he had only suffered from a minor concussion and some bruises. For the most part they were worried that he would have suffered from brain damage considering he took that extra shot to the head when he had already suffered from a concussion. But to Natsu's, Igneel's and the doctor's relief there was no signs of any severe injuries to the brain.<p>

When he was released from the hospital Natsu was almost at a hundred percent but not quite. His legs felt a little woozy but he figured that maybe it was from sitting in a bed for so long. Igneel helped him out as best as the old man could muster. Natsu carried Happy out, the kitten didn't provide any trouble and Natsu was happy that the little cat was there to keep him company for his days at the hospital.

When Natsu returned to the Academy he hugged his foster father good bye. Igneel was only able to take a few days off from work to see Natsu in the hospital but now that Natsu was all better he had to return to work. Natsu was a little upset seeing the old man leave. It was nice to see his father again but he knew that Igneel had his work and that he would have to deal with his own class work.

"Well Happy we're back," Natsu said grinning at the small cat. Happy gave him a light meow before leaping from his arms onto the ground. Natsu watched as the green kitten made a dash for the boy's dormitory. "I guess Happy is a little more pleased to be here than I am," Natsu said out loud to himself.

When Natsu got back to his dorm room he saw that Happy had already found his way inside. Though Happy wasn't the only one, Gajeel was lying on the couch watching TV on what appeared to be a wide screen plasma flat screen.

"Oh you're still alive?" Gajeel said his eyes still glued to the monitor. "Well that's a shame."

"Oh ha ha," Natsu said sarcastically. "Hey when did we get a new TV? It looks familiar . . . is that Jet and Droy's TV?"

"Yep I'm an asshole," Gajeel said as he turned the volume up. "Now if you don't mind I'm trying to watch something."

"Whatever," Natsu said as he shut the door behind him.

"Oh you're back," Gray said as he entered in from the bedroom, "how you doing?"

"All right," Natsu said as he made his way over to the couch. "I could be better."

"You certainly didn't get any uglier," Gajeel teased.

"Fuck you," Natsu snapped back.

"Oh geez you haven't even been here one minute and already you two are at each other again," Gray sighed rubbing his forehead. "Can you guys just get along for a few minutes? It was nice and peaceful before you came home Natsu."

"Well I'm sorry for being such an inconvenience on you Grey," Natsu said sarcastically before finding a small opening at the end of the couch to sit down. "But I am the one who just got out of the hospital after all."

Gajeel and Gray had faint remints of the fight from a few days ago. There was still some black and blue on their faces and for the most part Gajeel's nose seemed to have healed fine from when it was shattered. Gray on the other had a few cuts left on his face but nothing too serious.

"Well I'm heading out anyways," Grey said. "I got to go to the library to work on a project with Juvia."

"You're seeing Juvia again?" Gajeel said cocking an eyebrow. "Man you and her spend almost all your time together you know that? Why don't you just marry her already and be done with it?"

"Because it's not like that," Gray sighed heading for the door. "Juvia and I are just friends and nothing more." With that Grey took his leave, closing the door behind him.

"They're totally into each other," Natsu said shaking his head.

"No shit," Gajeel answered.

Later that day Natsu made his way over to the school's gym. He had dressed himself in some workout clothes; a white shirt with the school's logo embroidered on the chest and black basketball shorts. The school's gym was located just behind the main building at the bottom of a small hill. There was only one brick pathway that connected the main building to the gym and it went through an orchard of cherry blossom trees.

For Natsu he had usually gone down this path every time he went to gym class. The gym itself was comprised of the same gray lava rock stone as the main building. It stood about two stories high and stretched out well over the length of a football field. The inside was made up of two basketball courts that stood side by side with a stair way that lead downwards to the locker rooms. On the other side of the stair way was an indoor pool mostly used by the swim team for practice, especially during the days when it was too cold for them to be outside. There was a basement level just below the basketball court that contained the weight room and the upstairs that contained multiple rooms designated for it's respectable sport.

Natsu made his way over to the stairwell and went up the pale yellowish, white steps. When he got to the upper level he walked down the hallway until he came to the room that he was looking for. When he opened it he saw his English teacher sitting on the far wall preparing for his class while a few other boys were getting dressed, Leo being one of the boys there.

The room was small but still a good enough size. White mats padded the floor and walls with windows situated just above the padding on the wall opposite the doorway. Natsu looked around the room and saw that there really wasn't much of anything there but decided to make his way over to Leo in order to get prepared.

"Ah Natsu you're here," Gildarts greeted him with a grin.

"Yep when do we get started?" Natsu asked eagerly. "I'm all fired up!"

"Easy there Natsu," Gildarts said patting him on the shoulder. "We have to go through our warm ups first. Plus you should take it easy. You just got back from the hospital remember?"

"Yeah but I'm just ready to get going," Natsu sighed.

"Don't worry just grab some gear and then follow Leo's lead okay?" Gildarts said before making his way over to the other boys.

"Glad to see you're all right Natsu," Leo said grinning at him. Natsu thought the boy looked strange now that he wasn't wearing any sunglasses. It wasn't like Leo, the whole sunglasses look had been one of his trademarks. It was as much apart of him as his own hair.

"Yeah I'm doing fine," Natsu said offering a reassuring grin. "I'm just pumped to get going."

"Yeah well don't get too excited," Leo said smirking at him. "You're probably going to have to take it easy for now."

Leo commenced doing some stretches to warm himself up. Natsu followed his lead and mimicked each stretch the red haired boy was doing himself. "By the way Leo how did you know about this class?"

"Well I've been training with Gildarts personally for a long time," Leo said as he stretched out his legs. "We go way back. I think I've been his pupil ever since I was a small child. You know he's one of the better fighters in the country right?"

"You don't say," Natsu said grinning. He looked over at the old man. Gildarts did have a strong look about him though he'd never seen the old man do anything that would make anyone think that he was a champion fighter. He was tall and still well built, anyone could see that, but still to think that his English teacher had been a great fighter all along and he didn't know about it.

"Hey you're new right?" Natsu heard someone ask him. When he turned to see who it was he saw a boy with long somewhat curly black hair standing next to him. "My name's Alzack," the young man said extending his hand while still in the midst of a butterfly stretch.

Natsu smiled as he took the boy's hand. "Thanks I'm Natsu."

"Hey I'm Freed," a boy with light, long mossy hair said from the other side of Natsu. "And this is Bickslow," Freed said nudging his head to a young man standing next to him. Unlike Freed this boy was wide eyed with short, gelled blue hair. He was a crazy looking young man, someone who either had too much energy or was just crazy. He had a wide grin that appeared friendly but it was on the thin line of insanity. He had an abnormally long tongue that stuck out of his mouth that made Natsu a little uneasy but he decided to just ignore it for the moment.

"Nice to meet you," Bickslow said. Natsu nodded his head in a friendly hello.

"All right are we ready to do this," a voice called from the doorway. When Natsu and the others turned to see who it was their eyes shot up and their mouths dropped as they saw Cana and Erza standing in the doorway. "What you boys didn't think you're the only ones who like to kick someone's ass did ya?" Cana taunted as she crossed her arms across her chest.

The two of them smirked at the bewildered boys. Like the boys they wore wearing white workout shirts with the school logo embroidered just above their right bosom. They also wore tight workout pants that hugged their bodies so closely that it could pass for their skin. They also wore their hair back in ponytails as to keep it from getting in their eyes. Some of the boys blushed at the sight of the girls in their outfit while Leo appeared to be more annoyed than anything.

"Well Cana nice of you to join us," Gildarts greeted his daughter with a smile. "And I see you brought Erza, well isn't that nice."

"Oh shit," Natsu said out loud to himself as he gawked at Erza.

"Well get your stretches in and get ready," Gildarts said.

"Oh don't worry Mr. Clive we're ready," Erza said as the two girls entered the room. Her eyes landed directly on Natsu as a wicked smirk crossed her face. Natsu recoiled and even attempted to hide behind Leo, but to no avail Erza saw him and it was only a matter of time.

"Well let's get started then shall we," Gildarts said clapping his hands.


	20. Chapter 20

The library for the Academy was located just west of the main school building. Like the school it was built of the gray lava rock. It was about two stories tall with windows lining the walls on both floors. Underneath at the foot of the building rested rose bushes that added onto the building's beauty. Inside the building had every inch of the wall covered with shelves of mahogany bookshelves. In the center of the building were oak book desks where many students sat to read and study. In some corners of the room were leather sofas and chairs also reserved for students. At the far end of the building rested a large fireplace set a blaze that illuminated the entire room.

In the center room Gray and Juvia sat next to each other at one of the desks with stacks of books on either side of them and two open books in front of them. Even though Gray was completely focused on his reading, Juvia couldn't help but find herself staring back and forth at Gray. She bit her lip as she contemplated talking to him. She wanted to say something to him that didn't have to do with their assignment but she didn't know what to say.

"So Gray," Juvia said coyly as she tried to spark a conversation, "I really appreciate you helping me with the project."

"Huh?" Gray asked not looking away from the book. "We were assigned to work on this project together. So it's not so much that I'm helping you as we're supposed to work together."

"Oh," Juvia sighed sorrowfully, "I was just . . . nevermind."

"Are you okay Juvia?" Gray asked her, though from the tone of his voice he didn't sound like he cared all that much whether or not she was.

"Yeah I'm fine," she lied turning back to her book. Gray sighed in annoyance, placing his book back on the table and turned to look at the blue haired girl. He knew she was lying and he wanted to know what was bothering her so much.

"Come on what's wrong?" Gray asked her. Juvia's eye gazed back towards him for a brief second before they darted back towards her book as a light blush crossed her face.

"I told you nothing's wrong," Juvia muttered looking away from Gray. Gray frowned at her. He knew that there was something wrong with her and for some reason she wasn't telling him.

"Come on now Juvia you can tell me what's wrong," Gray said as he rested his head on his fist. He watched her carefully as she became jittery and nervous. "Juvia are you sure you're okay?" Gray asked again placing his hand on her shoulder. Juvia's face lit up a bright shade of crimson at his touch. She liked Gray's touch and the sight of him looking so concerned for her added a warm feeling to her heart.

"Oh it's nothing I'm doing better now," Juvia said as she smiled softly at him. Gray returned her smile with one of his own, the sight of which made the warm feeling in her heart light up even more.

Gray found himself smiling at her gazing down into Juvia's eyes. His heart began to beat a little too fast and he didn't know why, but he liked it. He found his hand moving up as he gently caressed her cheek. Juvia's face flushed an even deeper shade of red. The two gazed down into each other's eyes until Juvia moved slowly towards Gray. As she got close to Gray and then suddenly Gray turned away from her gazing back to his book.

"Well uh . . . perhaps we should get back to work," Gray said nervously. Juvia was disheartened by it.

* * *

><p>Natsu limped out of the practice room, almost every muscle in his body burned with a sensational aching pain. He was drenched in sweat to the point that even his own shirt was dripping. Natsu gasped with each step, Leo came up behind him and patted the pink haired boy on the back. Natsu nearly collapsed under the touch of Leo's hand under the pain. "Oh sorry Natsu," Leo chuckled as the poor boy flinched. Natsu just turned and glared at his friend.<p>

Before Natsu had the chance to say anything he saw Erza stepping out from the practice room, a wide grin on her face; Cana following right behind her. Both girls were sweating as each and every boy attempted to avoid staring at the black training bras that were visible under their shirts. "Oh hey Natsu how're you doing?" Erza asked mockingly. Natsu didn't say anything he just quickly turned away and continued to walk forward.

"Geez Erza did you have to go so hard on him?" Leo asked the red head as she and Cana walked up to him. Leo stared at the two girls but found his eyes constantly looking downwards. He knew Erza and Cana could tell that his eyes were darting back and forth between their eyes and breasts so he tried to make sure that it wasn't too obvious, or at least annoy them to the point that they would hurt him. That's one thing he never understood about Erza, she seemed to be completely comfortable with herself and never really cared for people staring at her for the "outfits" she would sometimes wear. Cana on the other hand was just as comfortable, as she often wore some revealing outfits regularly, but now that she was in school she was forced to wear the school uniform she took a few "creative" liberties with her outfit. What confused Leo even more was that this didn't seem to bother Gildarts at all, then again it is Gildarts.

"Oh come on you know he deserved it," Erza smirked as she crossed her arms across her chest; she watched as Natsu continued to limp down the hallway. "He should know better than to get into fights and cause trouble."

"But it wasn't his fault, and besides the poor kid just got out of the hospital I don' think you needed to beat him so hard. And I didn't even know that you could twist someone's arm that way . . ."

"Yep, perhaps now Natsu will learn his lesson," Erza sighed shaking her head. Then again no matter what she did she could never change Natsu. He had always been that way since they were little kids and she didn't expect him to change all that much, but maybe he would. She hadn't seen him all that much since he returned. She began to think that perhaps she really didn't know Natsu at all anymore.

"Of course not," Leo said grinning at her. "It's Natsu remember?"

"True," Erza sighed again whipping her damp hair behind her ear. She began to feel bad for Natsu. She was a little extreme with him in the practice room, and perhaps maybe she did take it too far. After all he did just return from the hospital that same afternoon. She thought that maybe it'd be best for her to apologize. After all he already received his punishment and she had already blown off most of her frustration on him.

"Yeah Erza why you got to be so hard on Natsu?" Cana said jokingly but she still held her smirk. "Poor boy looks so worn out and beaten."

"That's just how it goes with Natsu," Erza said calmly letting her hands drop to her side. She decided that she would apologize to him. She wouldn't take back the punishment completely since she did think that he deserved it, but she would apologize for being too harsh. Who knows maybe spending some time with Natsu will help her get to know him better.

"Well ladies I should get going but it was fun," Leo said before taking off.

"See ya Leo," Cana said as Erza gave him a soft smile and a wave.

When Natsu returned to his dorm room he saw that Gajeel was still lying on the couch watching TV. "Have you even moved from that spot at all since I left?" Natsu asked as he limped in and made his way to the bathroom.

"No," Gajeel said eyeing Natsu carefully. "Where have you been anyways?" Gajeel asked confused. He sat up as he saw that Natsu was still soaked in sweat and looked as though he was in minor pain.

"I was at practice," Natsu told him as he opened the door.

"Practice?" Gajeel asked quizzically. "What practice?"

"I'm practicing martial arts down at the school gym," Natsu shouted from behind the door.

"What when did this happen?" Gajeel asked bewildered as he stood up. "I didn't know we had a fighting club at school? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Sorry I don't tell you everything Gajeel," Natsu said sarcastically. Gajeel heard the shower turn on. "But I don't think it really matters."

"Of course it does Pinky!" Gajeel growled. "What you think I'm going to let you get better than me? Bitch please. I'm going to go there tomorrow with you."

"Fine," Natsu shouted from the shower. "Just let me shower in peace!"

"By the way what happened to you?" Gajeel asked. "You look terrible. I mean you're already an ugly bastard, but I mean you look more shitty than you usually do."

Natsu rolled his eyes. He wanted to go outside and punch Gajeel directly in the face, but he was far too sore to even lift his arms up. Erza had already giving him quite the beating earlier and the feel of the warm droplets of water were more relaxing to him. He figured he should just ignore it for now he wasn't in the mood to start a fight.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile at the local high school Damian sat outside the front law at one of the many steel tables waiting for someone. As he sat there he ate a bag of potato chips while reading a book for school. School had been out for the past couple of hours, so he found himself alone except for a couple of teachers who made their way to their cars or students who were just getting done with their sports.<p>

Soon a boy with a long mane of blonde hair and red eyes began to approach him. He wore a black leather vest over a plain white shirt and medal chains dangling from the pockets. He wore torn up jeans that also had a chain hanging from his right pocket. The boy had a serious and frustrated appearance. When he saw Damian he began to slowly approach him, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Damian," the blonde haired boy said as he stepped up in front of the clean-cut teen. Damian turned up and gazed at the blonde boy

"Hello Zancrow," Damian said smirking at the blonde boy. The blonde boy returned the smirk with one of his own, though his appeared to be a little more sinister. Though his eyes were still serious. "How was school?" Damian asked before eating another potato chip.

"Good," Zancrow said though he sounded a little irritated. "So why did you call me here?"

"I seem to have a problem with some of the Academy kids," Damian sighed as he closed his book.

"I thought you handled that shit already," Zancrow said as he took a seat.

"I did, a long time ago," Damian said resting his chin on his knuckle. "But unfortunately after a recent incident it appears that I may not be able to continue to keep the Academy kids in line, or at least certain students."

"Why is that?" Zancrow asked as he took a chip. Damian leered at him as he watched him eat it. He didn't like it when other people touched his food without his permission, but he knew that he needed to talk with Zancrow.

"Well after what happened it seems like I can't necessarily continue to keep them in check," Damian sighed.

"Can't you get Teboo to take care of it for you?" Zancrow asked as he took another chip. Damian scolded him before grabbing the bag and scooting it out of Zancrow's reach. Zancrow watched him and cocked an eyebrow.

"Teboo is useless," Damian said in frustration. Zancrow saw a flicker of anger resiante in Damian's eye. "Plus it would be in our better interest if someone from another school came in and took care of them. I mean you're looking for someone to fight right?" Damian asked.

"Yeah I'm always ready for a go," Zancrow shrugged. "But after what we did a few years ago perhaps it isn't always best for us to keep this stuff up."

"What happened back then is in the past Zancrow," Damian said shaking his head. "Plus I missed you."

"Yeah well don't get all sentimental on me," Zancrow said. "By the way how's your little brother doing?"

"Sean's all right," Damian sighed sitting back in his chair. "He's still acting like a little bitch."

"Girl problems?" Zancrow asked.

"Always," Damians said smirking. "He's all pissed off because Lucy continues to talk about her old friend Natsu. Sean tells me that it's driving him crazy; she never seems to shut up about how great he was and he even think that she's actually in love with the fucker."

"So that explains a lot," Zancrow said smirking. "So I guess sending Natsu to the hospital wasn't good enough for Sean?"

"No not when he had to hear about how worried she was about him," Damian said.

"Why do you even care any ways Damian?" Zancrow asked. "Last time I saw you, you didn't care about your brother and I thought you hated him after he decided to go to the Academy."

"I did," Sean said. "But then again dad wanted him to go there anyways so what was I going to do?"

"I don't know," Zancrow said shrugging. "Well it was good to see you man, and don't worry I'll make sure those Academy kids stay in line." Zancrow said before standing up and walking away. Before he walked a few meters he turned back around to face Damian, his smirk returning. "Thanks for the chips by the way."

**A/N: So I don't think you guys know this but I'm actually a guy. Oh and the later part was kind of boring but I'm using it to set up some future stuff, so I apologize if it got boring on you guys.**


	21. Chapter 21

A week had gone by since Natsu had joined the martial arts club and already they found Halloween fast approaching. Halloween was a time for mischief and a time for fun. It was a time when people could be who they wanted to be for a night, but above all, especially for Leo amongst all others, it was a time for girls to dress in hot costumes that they would never dare garner almost any other time. On the other hand Natsu could care less about Halloween, ever since he was forced to move from Magnolia he never had a chance to really enjoy the holiday like he was supposed to. As a child he constantly found himself trick or treating on his own since his father was always busy and what little group of friends he did have were busy doing their own thing.

Though everyone else was eager for Halloween he found it odd that not only was he not psyched for it, but neither were Gajeel nor Grey. Gajeel he could understand, after all the boy always seemed cynical in more ways than one. Grey though didn't seemed the least bit interested in Halloween, but Grey wasn't as bad. Heck he wondered how Grey couldn't like Halloween, but then again it was Grey and if he could never understand what was going on through that boys mind.

Though all the others were discussing the upcoming Halloween bash that the Academy was busy preparing that weekend for the students, Natsu was still plagued with the questions he had for Gildarts and Leo.

"Natsu pay attention!" Gildarts yelled out. Natsu snapped back to attention but it was too late, Leo had shot in on him with a double leg. Before Natsu had the chance to sprawl Leo had lifted him in the air and slammed him hard against the warm mat. Natsu coughed as all the air in his lungs were released in one gasping breath. He could hear the others chuckling at his dismay before Gildarts ordered them to get back to work.

"You gotta pay attention Natsu," Leo said as he stood over the poor boy. He smirked with a wide grin, shaking his head in disappointment at his younger teammate. "Natsu you okay?" Gildarts asked as he took a knee right next to the pink haired boy. He looked somewhat concerned but he knew Natsu for being tough and vigilant. A slam like that wouldn't have knocked him out so easily.

"Yeah," Natsu managed to gasp as he sat up.

"Then get up and get back to the drills," Gildarts told him before walking away. "Okay class now we're going to start from the down position. I want one partner to start on his back and I the other to grasp them in a half nelson. Guy on bottom try to break away from the grip and get back to your feet."

"You sure you're okay Natsu?" Leo asked as he implemented the move. Natsu sat there letting Leo get his arm in place. He felt weird, but he could feel the force Leo carried with him.

He could tell that Leo was a strong fighter even if he didn't look it all the time. Leo may have been a play boy, but he was a strong playboy that wasn't someone to be messed with. Natsu felt it every day in practice since becoming Leo's partner. He never knew the light years ahead of him Leo actually was, and that was only practice. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in an actual fight with the other boy. Then again he was thankful to have Leo on his side when things went bad.

"Yeah I just have some stuff on my mind," Natsu sighed. Once Leo had the half nelson in place he began to yank on it squeezing Natsu's neck. Natsu struggled with it flailing his body around trying to break free of Leo's grasp but to no avail.

"So what's on your mind?" Leo as he tightened his grip, constricting the Natsu's air flow

"Well it's nothing important really," Natsu said as he squirmed. He attempted to wrap his legs around Leo's back and roll him over, but Leo kept his feet firmly planted making it near impossible for Natsu to do.

"Don't worry Natsu we got plenty of time," Leo taunted as he arched his back driving his forearm deeper into Natsu's neck. Natsu struggled to breath and couldn't even say any words even if he wanted to. Leo watched as his face began to turn blue before Gildarts blew a whistle ending the drill. Everyone began to switch places, Natsu took his spot on top of Leo and maneuvered his arm into the half nelson position.

"Ready go!" Gildarts said blowing the whistle. Almost immediately Leo arched his back and placed Natsu's head into a headlock and rolled over. Once on top Leo commenced punching him in the face with his padded gloves. Natsu tried to defend himself from the blow and he knew Leo was holding back, but he was still surprised by the boy's agility. Natsu attempted to roll Leo off but he as soon as he moved Leo leapt to his side and began kneeing him right above the hip in his soft spot. Natsu didn't have the time to say anything as Leo continue to attack him.

The drills went on for several minutes before the practice had ended. Once it did Leo helped pick Natsu up from the mat. Natsu staggered a little bit but not nearly as bad one his first day with Erza. He saw Gajeel over in the corner still in the midst of a fight with Alzack who was on his back trying to pry Gajeel off of him. It didn't take long before Gildarts wrenched the blacked haired boy off the other.

"So tell me what's on your mind Natsu?" Leo asked as he walked over to his bag to grab his water bottle. He gave the boy a questioning glance as he chugged the cool refreshment. Natsu sat down breathing heavily. He still wasn't in good enough shape to be doing this sport, at least not yet. Erza walked over and stepped on Natsu's already aching stomach smiling smirking grimly down at him, Cana right behind her with a similar expression.

"You got to get into better shape Natsu," she said as she twisted her foot in his gut. "Otherwise you're never going to make it through this class." The two girls giggled at them, and oh how he hated it when Erza taunted him. Then again it wasn't unlike the girl to give him a hard time. He figured she probably still hadn't forgiven him about the whole mass fighting thing from a couple of weeks ago. But she seemed to be in much higher spirits than she usually was. He didn't figure Erza to be one for Halloween, but then again the girl always found new ways to surprise him.

"You okay?" Leo asked as he stared down at him.

"Get up pussy," Gajeel growled as he stood over him. "No way can you be so worn out so badly already."

Natsu growled back at the long, black haired boy. 'Like you're one to talk,' Natsu thought to himself. Gajeel was completely soaked in sweat to the point that his shirt was dripping. He leaned over himself breathing heavily, but still he acted like he didn't want Natsu to beat him. Perhaps that's why Erza and Gildarts were so eager to not have those two pair up in practice.

"Well I just wanted to ask you something," Natsu said sitting up and ignoring Gajeel.

"What is it?" Leo asked sitting down.

"Well Gildarts mentioned to me that you used to be friends with this Damian guy back way back when," Natsu said, he noticed that a serious look rose up on Leo's face. He wondered if perhaps he crossed a line asking Leo this, but he knew that it was already out there so he might as well just go on with it.

Leo sighed and hesitated at first, but eventually he turned to Natsu, "Well it was a long time ago." Leo sat back and reminisced. "It was back a few years ago, when I was about ten," Leo began. "I had registered for mixed martial arts lessons here at the academy and Gildarts was my coach back then too. That's when I first met Damian. He was also took the class to learn some mixed martial arts. Our class was small, probably no more than a few kids, so I got to know Damian pretty well," Leo said gesturing as though the statement was obvious. "Well Damian and I had become pretty good friends over the years . . . fighting together in practice and even competing in some tournaments around the city." Leo didn't even look at them he stared ominously in the distance lost in his memories.

Natsu watched Leo carefully he had an upset expression on him that almost looked like it was painful for him to think about it. But Natsu didn't say anything he just wanted to listen. Gajeel also found the story interesting and took a seat next to Natsu.

"Well when we were older and ready to go to high school Damian told me that he was going to attend the Academy and that I should go with him. After all his father pushed for him to go here in the first place . . . plus I thought it would be cool going to school with one of my closest friends," Leo said dejectedly. "It was our freshman year at the Academy and Damian had become some what of a trouble maker. Then again he was always stirring up mischief even when we were kids and he always found new people to hate. Well anyways there was a huge rivalry between the Academy kids and the townies, or as you might better know them the 'local' kids. Damian didn't get along too well with them, he was always getting into fights and trouble, but because of who his father was he kept getting off the hook. I few dollars here, a few dollars there," Leo said gesturing his hands back and forth, "and it seemed like all the problems just disappeared."

Natsu and Gajeel nodded there heads as Leo pondered his next words.

"But one day the school had enough of Damian causing trouble, fighting kids on campus and off campus, and his father didn't even seem to care all that much either. Actually his dad didn't give two shits about what he did and he just thought that as long as he kept 'donating,' Leo made the air quote gesture, "money to the school then everything would be fine. But eventually the principal finally had enough of it, and even Gildarts stood by the decision, to expel Damian from the school. He felt humiliated by it and his father was down right furious, but from what I remember Gildarts telling me they would allow Damian back into the Academy the following year if he could behave himself."

"So the prick got thrown out for being a douche what's the big deal?" Gajeel said nonchalantly.

"But before it sounded like you really hate him," Natsu said puzzled. "What happened between you two?"

"Well after he got expelled Damian was pissed," Leo said. "He transferred to the local high school down the road . . . Have you guys heard about the incident that took place a couple of years ago?" Damian asked.

"Yeah we have," Natsu answered.

"The old man from the deli told us about a major fight that broke out and some kids wound up in the hospital," Gajeel said.

"Well it was the night before the big football game between the school down the road and the Academy, well Damian and some other students from the local high school decide they want to get some revenge on the Academy kids somehow, Damian because he held a personal grudge for getting kicked out. So what happened was one night two Academy kids were walking back from the game, and it was late, probably about midnight or something. Well Damian and the other boys come across these two kids and well . . . the local kids had metal bats and chains. They just beat them. They beat them hard and without any humanity," Leo said shaking his head. "The poor kids nearly died, but fortunately someone was able to call the police and they arrived just before they killed them."

"Shit," Gajeel said taken back. Natsu couldn't believe it either. How could anyone just go up and beat someone so badly like that? The mere though made him sick. Even worse this was the same guy that had beaten him up no less than two weeks ago.

"So what the hell happened? Gajeel asked demandingly.

"Nothing," Leo said coldly. "They were wearing masks and no one was able to identify them and by the time police got there they were gone."

"So how did you know it was Damian?" Natsu asked sternly. Leo turned and gazed at him, Natsu could see the pain in his eyes; the pain of betrayal.

"Because he flat out said that he was the one that sent the message, that he and the local kids were going to attack us Academy kids not matter. I remember him saying that if he ever saw Academy kids out wondering the streets they would remind them to stay in their place, to stay in the Academy where they belonged. I don't know what caused him to hate the students so much so fast, but I think it was just his own personal grudge against the school. Though I told the cops what he had said they told me that it wasn't enough for them to make an arrest unfortunately," Leo sighed, "The fucker deserves to rot in jail for what he did. I know Gildarts never forgave him either, but it doesn't matter, once he was kicked off of campus he didn't even try to come back to working out anymore. After that I don't know why I kept doing it myself, the whole reason I stayed in it was because Damian told me to. I don't know perhaps it was because of him I felt it was necessary to continue on with the sport."

"Damn dude," Natsu said shaking his head.

"Well anyways there's no use dwindling on the past right?" Leo said as he attempted to grin though Natsu could see that he was forcing it. "Halloween is coming up and the whole Halloween Dance is this weekend. We should be focused on that!" Leo stood up and grabbed his workout bag. "Well I'm going to get something to eat, I'm starving. I'll see you guys later all right?" With that Leo took his leave and walked out of the practice room Natsu and Gajeel watched him leave.

The two of them stood up and grabbed their belongings before they left. Natsu thinking about what Leo had said. Gajeel followed him occasionally taking sips of water from his bottle. "So what'd you think about that story Leo told us just now?" Gajeel asked as the two exited the gym building.

"I don't really know," Natsu said shrugging, "but it makes me even more eager to beat that fucker's ass." Gajeel just turned to him and grinned.

* * *

><p>Lucy sat under one of the many cheery blossom trees on the school grounds reading a book. She always liked books in fact she pretty much loved them. Not as much as Levy, but she had a passionate feeling about them. Books always seemed to bring her comfort in a way nothing else could, especially romance novels. She didn't tell anyone of her dirty secret but the books she liked to read weren't particularly for girls her age, but as long as no one found out she had them then she knew that she was okay.<p>

As she sat there her mind wondered back to her past when she was just a little girl. She remembered the time when she and Natsu were playing on the beach with the others. Those were good times when everyone would get along, but now it seemed like everyone was so distant. Especially Natsu. She hated that. She wished that everything could go back to the way they were so many years ago, but she knew it wouldn't happen and the thought of it made her sad.

She continued to read on, taking comfort in the story in front of her. Her face gave off a light blush as she read on to a certain part that may have been considered a little too mature for her. She didn't mind, she knew what two young people do when they're together. Then again she never did any of that stuff with Sean. She knew she wouldn't do any of that type of stuff with Sean either. She wasn't that type of girl. At least that's how she thought of herself, and she always liked it that Sean would respect that about her, and her wanting to take their relationship slow. Though she knew that as a boy he often pushed for it, but never forced her into something she really didn't want to do. Then again she knew that the two of them were supposed to get married so when the timing was right she would eventually move the relationship in the right direction, but she often felt that Sean may not be the right guy to do it with.

Just then the image of Natsu flashed in her mind as her face burned an even deeper shade of crimson. Why was she thinking about Natsu at a time like this? Why when something so passionately crossed her mind, the pink haired boy's face was present. She didn't know, but she could feel a sharp pain resinate through her heart as she did.

"Hey Lucy," Levy said as she walked up and took a seat next to her friend. "What are you reading?"

The tiny girls surprised Lucy to the point she almost jumped up. She attempted to hide her embarrassed face that she could feel grow pinker from her friend, lest she found out about what she was really reading. "Just a sappy romance novel, nothing special," Lucy said surprised, immediately closing the book and looking at her friend.

"Oh so you have the same 'exotic' interest as Erza eh?" Levy said snidely as she watched her friend become embarrassed.

"What? No! It's not like that at all," Lucy said as her face blemished to a bright red. She began waving her hands in the air to deny the accusation, but that only made Levy's smirk widen.

"Well whatever," Levy said shrugging, "I just thought that Erza was the only one who read dirty stories."

"Erza?" Lucy said in disbelief. But she figured she might as well drop the subject now while she still could.

"So what are you doing for Halloween this weekend?" Levy asked her curiously.

"Well I guess I'll go to the party with Sean," Lucy told her. Lucy frowned at her not liking the answer she was given.

"You know Lucy you're free to go off and do things on your own once in a while too right?" Levy told her.

"What?" Lucy asked confused. "Where did that come from?"

"I mean you seem to do _everything_ with Sean. Maybe for one night you can go off and be your own woman for once," Levy told her.

Secretly Levy didn't like Sean all that much either, but she would never tell Lucy that. She didn't want to upset her all that much. And for her it wasn't like Sean was a bad guy, he was sweet, kind, and he pretty much treaty Lucy like a princess, but for whatever reason she got a bad vibe from him. Like there was something deep down in him that made her uneasy. She didn't know what it was and even though she had never seen Sean do anything but act like the perfect gentleman she sometimes didn't believe it herself.

"I wonder how Natsu's doing in his martial arts class," Lucy said blankly, as though she were thinking out loud and not actually talking directly to Levy.

"Oh I see so that's what you were thinking about when reading that naughty novel," Levy smirked and gave her a sinister look.

Lucy's face immediately flushed a deep shade of crimson. She didn't know how to respond, and it wouldn't have mattered either way. Levy was already in her taunting mood.

"Oh just shut up Levy," Lucy said angrily as she looked away from the small girl.

"Oh come on Lucy you're always talking about Natsu," Levy said.

"I do not," Lucy snapped at her.

"Oh yes you do," Levy said definitively. "You're always on about Natsu, it makes me wonder about your relationship with him sometimes."

"We're just friends Levy!" Lucy said smugly looking away from her. Levy continued to taunt her the rest of the time. Lucy began to get embarrassed by it, but she didn't think she talked about Natsu that much.  
>"Well speak of the devil look who it is," Levy said pointing outward. Lucy looked where Levy was pointing and saw Natsu and Gajeel walking together back to the boys dorm. They were doused in sweaty workout clothes. Lucy blinked a couple of times but she still couldn't believe that it was Natsu who was walking by.<p>

"Natsu?" She said in disbelief. "When did he start doing workouts?"

"I don't know but they look pretty cute if you ask me," Levy giggled as her eyes wondered to Gajeel.

"Wait . . . _they_?" Lucy said raising an eyebrow at her friend. "So you think Gajeel is cute Levy?" Lucy teased. The smaller girl's face blushed a light pink.

"That's not what I—" she said nervously, "I mean I got to go write an essay for English Lucy," Levy said as she stood up to leave. "I'll see you later."

Lucy watched as her friend walked back towards the girl's dorm, the scarlet shade of embarrassment still present across her cheeks. Lucy giggled to herself as she saw just how flustered Levy had actually become. She was only teasing, but it was clear to her that Levy had some feelings for the long haired boy. Perhaps she would help Levy out, after all she was her friend and that's what friends do for each other. Right? She then turned back and stared over at Natsu and Gajeel. She gave off a light smile as she watched Natsu walk away. Levy was right he was kind of cute when he was in work out gear. Her face lit up again as she thought about what she was saying.

"No, no, no," Lucy said to herself trying to shake the image from her head. "You're dating Sean you shouldn't be thinking like that." But no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't do it. She sighed. "This is just too weird for me."

**A/N: Damn I sucked on this one and I'm sorry. I had people tell me it needs more Lucy so I tried guys. Let me know what you think.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Guys sorry it took so long for the update. I had finals, essays to write and then my brother's graduation. I started working on this the second I had time, which wasn't for weeks and I wanted to make it a long chapter for making you guys wait so long. So here it is I hope you enjoy.**

**Oh and 89niners-best-team-ever you're probably going to hate me after this.**

It was only about two years ago when Leo was still just a freshman at the Academy. He had just finished up his classes for the day and was making his way to his locker to drop off his books. Leo was lankier back when he was younger, shorter too. He had more piercings in his ears than he did when he was older. His hair was a lighter shade of orange and he kept it shorter and spikier. He wore his traditional sunglasses, only back then the lenses were a softer shade of blue allowing his eyes to be seen through them.

As he walked down the hallway towards the staircase he noticed Damian standing out front of his locker packing up his backpack. Damian looked furious as he shoved each book into the bag aggressively. Leo shook his head, "Hey Damian," Leo greeted as he walked up to the other boy. Damian didn't give him a response, just a mutter under his breath. "What's wrong?" Leo asked as he watched Damian continue to shove books and papers into his bag.

"Nothing," Damian growled as he slammed his locker shut and walked away. Leo cocked an eyebrow. Damian was lankier back then, and he kept his hair long and greasy. His bangs dangled low just in front of his eyes. Leo could see the rage in Damian's eye and he didn't like it. Damian was not the type of person he wanted to get angry, because he knew that Damian would always do something about it. He was definitely dangerous as he normally saw in practice or in competition.

"Dude seriously tell me what's going on," Leo said as he sped up to catch the black haired boy. He placed his hand on Damian's shoulders only to have Damian shrug it off forcefully. Leo was a little taken back by Damian's reaction and it only made him that much more concerned. "Damian?" Leo said sternly as he grasped the boy's shoulder.

"I've been expelled," Damian snapped as he spun around to glare at Leo throwing his hand off of him. Leo was shocked at what he heard. He couldn't believe Damian of all people would get expelled. Sure he got in trouble all the time and that he was constantly being talked to, but with his father's influence Damian had always found his way out of it.

"You're kidding right?" Leo said half expecting it to be a joke. But by Damian's facial expression he already knew that it wasn't a joke. The boy was practically seething as he stood there.

"That old fucking midget Makarov said he was getting sick my attitude and that I had gone too far," Damian said throwing his hands in the air before storming away. Leo ran to catch up to him. He wanted to hear what happened. He didn't get any word about this, not even from Gildarts, who was also his English teacher as well. He though that if anything like this were to happen Gildarts would certainly tell him.

As Leo walked behind Damina the boy swiftly walked down the stairwell practically knocking over everyone in his way. Some people attempted to stare him down only to turn away the second he glared at them. The boy may not have always looked it but he still had some frightening demeanor about him. Leo followed waving at people apologetically.

"What'd he say Damian?" Leo asked as he quickened his pace to keep up.

"You know that fight I got into the other day at the football game with those local kids?" Damian exclaimed as he walked through the main lobby.

"Yeah?" Leo said nodding his head. Of course he remembered he was there. Damian had gotten into a scuttle with some sophomores from the high school down the street. Leo remembered that a group of local boys were harassing a group of Academy kids. Damian took it upon himself to go over there a pick the fight personally. It didn't take long for Damian to finish the fight fast most of those kids went down in a couple of punches. Leo on the other hand chose not to get involved, knowing full well that he didn't have the protection of a rich father like Damian did.

"Well apparently the parents called and complained and Makarov said that he wouldn't tolerate my behavior anymore so he kicked me out," Damian said as he ripped open the school's main door.

'Well it was bound to happen sooner or later,' Leo thought to himself. He knew that Damian was given a lot of leeway because of his father and thou he never really expected Makarov to actually go through with it he wasn't all that surprised. But he also figured Damian should consider himself lucky that all he was getting was expelled considering some of the things he's done are illegal. "What does Gildarts think of this?" Leo asked.

"He actually backed him up on it," Damian said in disbelief shaking his head. "How could Gildarts be okay with this?" Damian growled.

Leo didn't say anything but he understood why. For months now Gildarts was growing more and more upset by Damian's behavior. Though he taught the boys how to fight he had always instructed them to keep it in practice or on the mat in competitions. There were times when Gildarts had come close to actually kicking Damian off the team for his shinanigens but never could since the boy didn't seem to actually get into trouble. But Leo knew Gildarts, he and Damian had known them for the better portion of their lives, he knew that Gildarts would not tolerate this type of behavior from any of this students, and now that Damian was actually going to be punished for what he had been doing Gildarts saw fit to stand by and allow it to happen.

"So what are you going to do now?" Leo asked as Damian came to a stop.

"I don't know," Damian said as he turned to face Leo. "All I know is that I am going to get back at this school for what it did. I'll get them back for humiliating me and my family like this."

Leo watched as Damian stormed off to the front gate. Just beyond he could see a man in a suit and sunglasses standing next to a black Aston Martin. The man opened up the passenger door for Damian as he saw the teenage boy approaching. Leo shook his head and watched as Damian got into the car, but before he did he turned around and gave Leo one last stern and serious look.

* * *

><p>Halloween has arrived and everyone was becoming incredibly excited. The main reason being the Halloween Ball that was going to take place later that night. Lucy was even more excited as she tried on her costume that she was going to wear; a black cat suit that to her dismay may have been just a little too revealing. She second-guessed the whole thing as she stared at herself in the mirror.<p>

"Oh Lucy you look so cute," Levy squeaked as she complimented her friend. Lucy blushed as she gawked at her image in the mirror. This was a costume that was completely unsuitable for a girl to be wearing to the Halloween Ball; actually it was completely unacceptable for a girl to wearing a costume like this period. This was the last time she asked to borrow a costume from Erza ever again. Then she wondered why Erza had a costume like this is the first place.

"I'm not wearing this!" Lucy said flustered. "It's completely embarrassing and way too revealing."

"Oh come on Lucy you look so pretty in it though," Levy said enthusiastically. Lucy sighed at her friend as she went to the bathroom to change out of it.

"Is there anything else I could wear to the Ball?" Lucy asked from behind the door. Levy sat there on Lucy's bed swinging her feet to and fro as she waited for her blonde friend. Like Lucy Levy had also prepared and in her full costume a lavender Victorian style dress with white fitting.

"You know now that I think of it," Levy said as she thought it over, "I do have another princess dress you could borrow if you want."

"Yes anything . . . just not this," Lucy answered from behind the door.

"Why?" Levy asked.

"Because I'm not a stripper!" Lucy shouted from behind the door. "I'm not interested in going to the Ball dressed like that! Can you please go get me something else to wear?"

"Fine," Levy sighed as she stood up to leave. "I just hope that you're okay with the dress I got."

Meanwhile Natsu and Gajeel were in the their dorm room preparing themselves for the Ball. Neither of them really had a date, but they were both looking forward to it. It gave them the chance to do something fun that didn't involve anyone getting hurt, but most importantly it wouldn't get them into trouble.

Natsu didn't have much money to afford a costume so he took the cheap route and dressed as mummy. He managed to grab some of the extra gaze that was lying around in the practice room and wrapped himself up with the help of Gajeel who took the liberty to insure that Natsu's mouth was also wrapped shut. Though once the process was complete even Natsu had to admit that it wasn't really that good, but it was still a costume.

"What'd you think Happy?" Natsu asked, as he looked himself over in the mirror. He managed to peel away the layer of bandage that was covering his mouth. He turned to look at the small cat who was too busy resting in the corner of the room to really care. "Happy?" Natsu said raising his voice. The cat looked up as he heard his name being called out and let off a soft meow before going back to sleep. "Yeah I do too," Natsu sighed but he didn't feel like taking it off.

Gajeel also didn't have much if any money to spend on a costume so he opted to go as a football player, which pretty much meant putting on a jersey. He wore a number eleven Arizona Cardinals football jersey. He drew some fake stiches on his cheek though that really didn't add on too much to the overall costume, but hey it was something.

"That's it?" Natsu asked as he peered over at Gajeel. "That costume is lazier than mine."

"Yeah but at least I look good," Gajeel countered as he attempted to draw some black eyes. He took a moment to admire his handiwork, but he still felt that Natsu was right and that his costume was lazily put together.

"Well at least it's not some crappy 9ers jersey or something," Natsu said as he walked over to the room finish adding some minor adjustments to his costume.

"Yeah only some dumb moron would be caught wearing one of those shitty jerseys," Gajeel chuckled as he attempted to draw his other black eye. "I mean who in their right minds would be caught wearing one of those things?"

"Some pretty sad pathetic people I'll tell you what," Natsu said laughing. As the two stood their chuckling Gray walked out of the bedroom door wearing nothing but a dark blue with yellow outlined bathing suit and sandals.

"What are you supposed to be?" Natsu asked cocking an eyebrow at him.

"I'm a swimmer," Gray said with a shrug. "Couldn't really come up with a costume idea so I decided to go with this.

"Are you sure it's not because you want to walk around half naked?" Natsu asked a little skeptical of Gray's intent.

"Oh ha ha," Gray said rolling his eyes. "By the way what are you supposed to be?"

"A mummy," Natsu sighed. He knew that his costume was pretty bad. He didn't know that it was that bad, but heck what was he going to do now. He was already completely wrapped up in bandages.

"I see," Gray said shaking his head. "And what about you?" Gray turned his attention to Gajeel now.

"I'm a football player," Gajeel said holding his arms out to wingspan to show off. He looked himself over and realized that he wasn't too impressed by the lack of creativity with the outfit, but he had to admit, he looked damn good. "I'm too lazy to get a real costume myself."

"Well at least you're not wearing some shitty 9ers jersey or something else embarrassing," Gray sighed as he walked over to the door. "So you guys ready to head out now or what?"

The night was cold, Natsu and Gajeel found themselves shivering as they walked to the main school building; Grey on the other hand was perfectly contempt with the cold. It was late and the sun had already set, but Natsu didn't like the idea that it was going to get even colder later in the night, it made the idea of walking back to the dorms that much more uncomfortable, even if it is just for a short walk. Other students were making their way over to the main building as well, many of which were also feeling the cold. Natsu felt a little embarrassed by how extravagant the other student's costumes were that he felt even pettier.

When they arrived in the cafeteria itself the entire room was filled with students both from the Academy and friends from outside the Academy. Natsu looked around as the place was nearly jam packed, and he never noticed just how big the room was without the tables in the middle. But the sight of a few hundred students really made him change his perspective. Above everything else he wondered just how they were expected to find any of their other friends in the crowd.

"This place is packed," Gajeel said as they walked through the entrance door. He looked around with his same old grim expression. Natsu cocked an eyebrow at him, though he didn't find it too unusual since Gajeel was never the "friendly" type, but then again it was just who he was. It seemed like nothing anyone could do would really ever make the other boy happy, so there didn't seem to be any point in him trying to wipe the scowl off of Gajeel's face.

Loud music boomed throughout the hall. It sounded like some kind of techno music at first, but then as soon as that song ended it went onto another random pop song, none of which were of Natsu's liking, but he chose to instead ignore though he knew how difficult it would be with the music blaring so loudly. Natsu could barely hear himself think. The Hall was decorated with black and orange banners all of which had jack-o-lanterns embroidered on them. It was dark except for the array of different colored lights gleaming throughout the room; blue, red, orange, yellow and green. Black lights were also being used to help the room glow.

Natsu was surprised that the school had gone all out just for the weekend dance. Though since there were kids there that weren't from the academy itself he figured it was more for the spectacle. Heck they even had the dry ice cauldrons as punch bowls, black and orange streamers that hung on the walls below the windows, and silhouettes of black cats. The floor itself was covered in that artificial fog that he mostly saw in movies.

"Well let's get going," Grey said as he began to walk forward through the crowd. Natsu and Gajeel followed him as they bypassed through so many students. Natsu knew for certain that he wasn't just imagining it, but that there were more kids there then there were students. Though as he continued to walk he noticed that some kids weren't even wearing costumes that made him feel somewhat better about his costume.

Natsu bumped into different people and had to squeeze through most of the crowd as he followed Grey. Eventually they came across a small group of people standing together in the far corner of the hall.

"Hey guys," Grey said as he walked over to the group. Natsu just noticed that it was the usual guys. Erza stood there talking with Mira before and yet she was the first to notice the three boys. The two girls smiled as they greeted them, Mira offering a wave.

Erza was wearing the costume of a witch. Or from Natsu thought a "sexy" witch. He blushed as he looked over her costume. Though she wore a long black gown it was cut just a little too high on her legs. She also wore the long, black witch hat on top of it. Natsu even wondered if Erza really even knew if her costume was appropriate but then again it was Erza.

Mira on the other hand wore a demon costume that was a little more revealing than it should have been. Her arms were covered in a green scale like sleeves with fins and claws attacked to the end of them. Her legs were covered with a cardinal red leggings outlined in gold. She wore a similar cardinal colored leotard on her torso with dark green almost black wings on the back with a long black tail. She had drawn a scar over her right eye that extended from her forehead down to the cheek, and she wore elf ears that made her appearance that much more frightening. Her hair was standing up, which amazed Natsu that with hair as long as hers she was able to do.

"Hey guys," Mira said as they approached. She smiled gently at them, but with such a costume on it didn't really help make Natsu any less creped out.

"So Natsu what are you supposed to be?" Erza asked as she eyed his costume. "Are you supposed to be a trauma victim or something?"

"A mummy," Natsu sighed as he held up his arms to give her a better look.

"Cute," Erza chuckled.

"What are you supposed to be?" he asked her sarcastically.

"A with," Erza said confused by the question. She obviously didn't hear the sarcasm in his voice.

"It definitely suits you," Gajeel grumbled under his breath. Erza didn't hear him, but she took a sip of the punch that she was drinking.

"And what exactly are you supposed to be?" Erza asked Gajeel as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm a football player can't you tell?" Gajeel scoffed as he continued to look away from her. Erza frowned at him, but she didn't do anything. She figured it better to not provoke something that could escalate when everyone was just trying to enjoy themselves.

"Well at least he's not wearing some shitty 9ers jersey," she sighed to Natsu.

"Hey guys," Natsu heard from behind him. When he turned around he saw Lissana standing right behind him, a grin on her face wearing a white cat suit, including the ears, tail and paw gloves.

Right behind her was Elfman wearing a Frankenstein costume. The look actually suited the other boy since all he really had to do was get some green face paint and a black wig. Natsu had to keep himself from laughing he had never really noticed the resemblance before.

Grey stood next to Gajeel as he noticed that the other boy jut stood there with a scowl as he peered through the crowd. Grey sighed it seemed like it might have been a mistake to bring Gjaeel, but he didn't know what he could do to get the other boy to at least try to not be a total asshole.

"H-h-hello Grey," he heard his name faintly. When he turned around to see who it was he saw Juvia standing right next to him.

Once Juvia had seen that Grey's only costume was nothing more than him wearing swim trunks her face immediately lit up a crimson red. Her eyes darted away as she struggled to find the right words to say to him.

Grey peered down at her. She wore a mermaid outfit with a light cerulean fin on her legs. Thought she wore a long blue unbuttoned coat over her body to keep herself warm in the cold, underneath it she wore a purple shell bikini top. She kept her hair down to make it appear like it was wet, long and straight. Amongst everything Grey had to admit that she looked cute.

"Hey Juvia," Grey said nonchalantly.

"Uh," Juvia hesitated, "would you like to get some punch?" Juvia looked up at him half expecting Grey to reject her offer.

"Yeah sure," Grey said as he smiled at her. "That sounds nice."

Juvia's heart seemed to skip a beat, and she couldn't even believe that he said yes. Her face lit up even more when Grey had actually grabbed her hand and began to lead her to the area where the punch bowl was. She smiled to herself, unable to contain her happiness.

Gajeel stood there near the punch bowl frowning as he watched people bypass and dance. He didn't know why he even bothered to show up. Social events weren't ever his thing to begin with. As he stood there looking through the crowd he noticed a small girl with two boys walking through towards the table. As she approached she noticed him and began to approach him. He didn't know who she was, but as she approached he saw that the small nerdy girl was actually Levy.

"Hey Gajeel," she said smiling sweetly at him. Gajeel held his scowl, but it didn't deter Levy from him. He didn't even try to look at her, but he had to admit that she looked cute in her Victorian dress. He wondered why she was wearing it for Halloween, but he didn't mind. "Do you want some punch?" she asked as she poured herself a cup she offered it to him. For a second he hesitated but reluctantly took it. She smiled at him as he took a sip.

"So what are you supposed to be?" Levy asked.

"I'm a football player," Gajeel told her.

"Oh," she said. "I'm not really a sports fan."

"I figured," Gajeel chuckled a little as he took a sip of his punch.

"What does that mean?" Levy asked jokingly.

"Well you're small and kind of a nerd," Gajeel told her. His voice sounded rather serious, perhaps too serious. He didn't mean it, but it wasn't until after he had said it that he caught himself. He could see Levy's expression wane as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh," she sighed. "Is that how you see me?" She looked hurt, and her expression made Gajeel feel awful. He used to never care about what he said or how they affected people, but the second her eyes saddened he could feel the pain in his chest.

"No, no," that's not what I meant he said nervously. He scratched the back of his head trying to figure out some way to fix the problem.

"It's fine," Levy sighed. "Well anyways I got to get back to Jet and Droy." Without another word she turned and walked away. Gajeel watched her reaching out and opened his mouth as to say something, but nothing came out. He sighed in agitation and grumbled.

'What is wrong with me?' he thought to himself. 'I didn't mean to hurt her. I mean yeah I don't care about her feelings, but she's a nice girls who's always been sweet to me even when I've always been a jerk.' He shook his head. He didn't know why he felt so awful or why he had the sudden urge to chase after her and tell her he was sorry, but that wasn't like him. Though he continued to ponder on the idea he figured that it'd be better for him is he did go and apologize to her after. When he looked up to see where she went he couldn't find her. She was lost in the crowd of students and teenagers. 'Shit.'

"So Natsu what's your costume supposed to be?" Lisanna asked, as she looked him over. She rubbed her chin until she finally spoke, "You're a trauma patient aren't you?" Lisanna smiled at him.

Natsu sighed. "No I was supposed to be—" he cut himself off as he glanced at Lisanna. He peered into her eyes as she giggled at him. "You're right I'm a trauma patient."

"You did a really good job on it Natsu," she said admiringly as she brushed her hand up and down his arm. "It looks authentic."

"Thank you," he smiled at her compliment. The white haired girl seemed to blush as she let off a big grin. A few a moments the two of them stood there in silence, both with grins. Natsu felt somewhat awkward, but not in a negative way. Lisanna stood there her eyes moving to and away from Natsu. He could feel the tension between them. Lisanna began to open her mouth but was soon interrupted by Elfman.

"Well looks like the two of you are getting along well," Elfman said grinning as he held a cup of punch. "Lisanna did you want a cup of punch?"

"No thanks I'm good Elfman," she said. "Hey Natsu why don't you and I go out for a dance?" Lisanna asked as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the middle of the room.

Natsu didn't even have a chance to say anything as he was being yanked. He stumbled as forward as she pulled him trying to keep his balance but it became more and more difficult as he kept colliding into people. Still Lisanna's grip was firm and it wouldn't break and Natsu felt like he had no other choice but to follow her. He didn't mind really he only wished that she actually gave him the chance to say yes or no.

When they had arrived somewhere in the cluster of teens Lisanna around the middle of the room Lisanna finally stopped giving Natsu the opportunity to regain his footing. Once he managed to stand up he found Lisanna wrap her arms around his neck as she came in ever closer to him. Natsu blushed as he saw how close to him she was getting. She smiled gently, and though it was dark in the room he could swear he saw a light blush cross Lisanna's cheek.

She began to move gently but Natsu still had his arms at his side. She scoffed at him, rolling her eyes, she reached down and picked his hands up and placed them gently on her hips. "I swear," she said shaking her head as she giggled, "you have no idea how to act around women."

She was right when it came to women they were completely alien to Natsu. Women were something that Natsu could never understand, but then again when it came to the girls that he knew it didn't surprise him all that much. But women were so foreign that every time he tried to understand them it made him all the more confused. Then again he didn't know a single guy that did understand women. They were interesting and weird creatures, perhaps he would never understand them. But maybe that was one of the great mysteries of life.

As the two of them danced together there was only so little room for them to move around. Neither of them said anything but Natsu found it hard to make eye contact with Lisanna. She was close to him, very close he could feel body pressing up against his. He could feel certain other parts of her body pressing up against his chest, but he had to admit he didn't mind that all too much. Perhaps this whole dancing idea wasn't too bad.

Once the song had ended Lisanna pulled away from him, beaming a large smile at him, which he returned it with a smile of one of his own. He stood there looking at her, he felt uneasy though, and he really didn't understand why. Lisanna was his friend, but he felt like they were crossing a certain line. Perhaps it wasn't so bad, but he just didn't feel that why about her. He knew she was a great girl. It didn't take long before the next song began to play.

"That was fun," Lisanna said.

"Yeah it was," Natsu said as he broke away from her. "I'm going to get some punch."

As Natsu walked back he left Lisanna behind. He needed to collect himself after that dance and have some time a lone with his thoughts. He liked Lisanna, but only as a friend, and he felt like they were pushing things too fast. As he made his way back to the punch table, dodging through the crowd. When he arrived at the table he quickly poured himself a cup. No one else was around so he could think without being interrupted.

As he took a sip from his cup he wondered just what his relationship with Lisanna was turning into. He sighed as he turned back to the crowd of students watching as everyone was enjoying themselves. One thing that caught his eye was Grey was in the middle of the room dancing with Juvia. Even from where he was standing Natsu could see that the young girl's face was a deep crimson red, and that wasn't because of the lights. He chuckled to himself, and from what he could see Grey was actually having fun and smiling. That certainly was something that Natsu didn't see everyday.

As he stood there watching the other kids dance he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder. "Yeah?" Natsu sighed in agitation as he turned around. When he did he was completely caught off guard with who he saw. "Lucy?"


	23. Chapter 23

"Hello Natsu," Lucy greeted she had her same old sweet gentle smile. Natsu eyes went up in surprise, but he was more filled with joy seeing her again.

Lucy wore a silver ball dress with a light red garniture. Her face seemed to be glowing under the lights, and the black light helped her silver linens shine brightly. Her dress hung delicately along her shoulders, cutting just above her bosom. White ruffles outlined the dress as the corset shaped her frame. The dress swayed from her hips, the silk glistening under the many lights. She may have been wearing the old style dress, but she didn't include the tournure, which for Natsu made it look all the better.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu greeted her, a large grin crossing his face. "Nice costume. What are you supposed to be?"

"Oh this?" Lucy said as she looked herself over. She picked up the skirt and let it drop. "Well I borrowed a costume from Erza but it wasn't exactly . . . fitting for the dance."

"And dressing like a Victorian Princess is?" Natsu said chuckling as he played with the lace on her shoulder. Lucy giggled along with him keeping up her sweet smile. She rolled her eyes at him as she realized that perhaps Natsu was having a little too much fun with her straps.

"So what are you supposed to be?" she asked as she looked him over. She had a very skeptical look about her, one that said that she was more confused than intrigued by it. It didn't surprise Natsu at all really. "Are you supposed to be a burn victim or a trauma patient or something?" Lucy asked giggling. She began to play around with his bandages, but Natsu didn't mind.

"Yeah I guess you can say that," Natsu said.

"Well you can say that the look certainly suits you," a voice said coming from behind Natsu. He didn't have to look to see who it was, he could tell from the sound of the voice. Natsu shut his eyes as a hand touched his shoulder before the familiar body of Sean walked by with a wide smirk.

For his costume he wore a cliché vampire costume, including the cape and the popped up color. His face was pale and he had fake blood painted to look like it was dripping from the side of his lip. His hair was parted to the side to give it a more clean and sophisticated look. Natsu's smile quickly faded into a frown as he glared at the preppy boy. Though he found it much more ridiculous that Sean didn't even bother to wear any of the fake vampire teeth.

"Yeah well I have to admit your mask is one of the more hideous ones I've seen all night Sean," Natsu replied.

"I'm not wearing a mask," Sean said sternly as his smirk faded. His look became that much more serious as he leered at Natsu. The sight of which caused Natsu to grow a smirk of his own.

"Oh my bad," Natsu said sarcastically chuckling to himself. Sean didn't appear amused, the sight of which made Natsu feel all the more better.

"Lucy sweetheart how about we go for a dance?" Sean asked though the anger could still be heard in his voice. Lucy looked up at him and back at Natsu.

"No Sean I was hoping to stay here and talk to Natsu some more," Lucy told him as she smiled sweetly at her boyfriend. Sean was a little taken back by her reply. He stared at her then turned his attention to Natsu who was too busy showing off his wide smirk. Sean took a step back and moved away from the two of them.

"Okay I'm just going to go get some punch then," Sean grumbled before dismissing himself. As he walked away Natsu gave him a very smug look, one of satisfaction that only made Sean's blood boil that much more. He furrowed his eyebrows at the pink haired boy as he walked by.

Once Sean was gone and out of ear shot Natsu looked back at Lucy. Her face was more concerned than anything as she watched Sean storm away. She sighed before turning back to Natsu, her smile slowly returning. "I swear he can be such a baby sometimes," Lucy said shaking her head. She groaned as she rubbed her temples in agitation.

"Are you okay Lucy?" Natsu asked her as he placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She peered back at him and smiled softly.

"Yeah I'm fine," she said as she grasped his hand and gently lifted it off of her shoulder. "Sean's just being difficult as he always is. It's nothing knew. But tell me how have you been? I heard from Erza that you've been attending the mixed martial arts classes with Gildarts now."

"Yeah," Natsu said nodding his head. "It's been fun so far."

"Well as long as you're keeping out of trouble," she said folding her arms across her chest. "I'm not exactly interested in seeing you in the hospital again." Her face was stern and her eyes glared at him. Natsu thought that she was joking at first, but now he could see that she was absolutely serious. He laughed awkwardly in hopes of decreasing the tension he was feeling, but her eyes grew ever more serious. He began to scratch his head as a twitch to her staring at him, and he really wished she wasn't glaring at him like that, but it looked like he was still in some trouble.

"Well I don't actually plan on going back to the hospital any time soon Lucy," Natsu jokingly. It didn't help. She was still glaring at him. He didn't know what to say or what to do. "Are you just going to keep staring at me like that?" he eventually asked nervously.

The frown began to melt off as she sighed, shaking her head but eventually her smile returned. "You know you make me worry far more than you should Natsu," she said. "But then again that seems to be the only time I ever get to see you anymore," she said sadly. She tried to keep up her smile, but Natsu could see the distraught in her eyes. He didn't like it.

"Don't worry Lucy we're here together now," Natsu said grinning at her. Lucy's heart softened a little bit as she felt a little bit more relaxed. The look of his same old stupid smile that he always had even since they were children was enough to brighten her up. That was the one thing about Natsu that may have annoyed her, but she always liked; his big stupid grin.

"Can't believe that she would ditch me for that ass," Sean growled out loud to himself as he poured a cup of punch for himself. He was fuming he couldn't believe that Lucy had chosen Natsu over him. "She's my girlfriend, she's supposed to listen to me, not go off and hang out with that pink haired bitch." Sean gulped his punch quickly before angrily throwing the cup into the trashcan that was situated next to the table.

"Someone seems a little upset," a voice chuckled behind him. Sean turned around to see a tall older boy with a blonde mane of hair standing right behind him. At first Sean didn't know who it was, the boy was wearing a plain white hockey mask, the one notorious from the Friday the 13th movie franchise. Other than that he wore a black leather jacket over a plain white shirt and torn up jeans that had a long chain dangling from his pocket.

Before Sean could even ask the older boy removed his mask to reveal his identity. Sean breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that it was Zancrow. The blonde hair boy had a wide smirk on his face and made his way over to the table to pour himself some punch. At first Sean said nothing, he didn't know why Zancrow was even there at the Academy's dance, seeing as how he figured that the other boy would more likely be up to some mischief, especially since it was Halloween.

"What are you doing here?" Sean asked seriously as the blonde haired boy drank his punch.

"You know just hanging around, checking the girls in their costumes," Zancrow said as he winked. "There was this one particular brunette who came in wearing nothing but a bikini top and a black skirt. Though she had a witch's hat on so maybe it had something to do with that. I don't know," Zancrow shrugged. "But I got to admit it was hot. Yeah and she was with this one fine red head girl and damn did the two of them look fine. I think I might have to give them some of my special punch if you know what I mean?"

Sean watched as Zancrow finished his drink, but before he set the cup down he gazed around the room to make sure no one else was looking. After he had poured himself another cup he pulled out a flask from underneath his jacket and poured the liquid substance into his cup. The boy smiled smugly as he put the flask back into his jacket pocket, taking another look around to make sure that no one else saw what he had just done.

"By the way what's got you all bent out of shape for?" Zancrow asked taking a sip. His eyes cringed as he attempted to swallow the warm liquid, but once he did he let a refreshing breath. "Damn that shit is strong."

"Nothing," Sean grumbled as he peered back towards Lucy and Natsu. He could see the two of them laughing together. He rarely ever saw Lucy that happy before, and though he shouldn't feel enraged he was. He didn't like that his girlfriend was hanging around some other guy.

Zancrow took a look back to see what Sean was staring at. He smirked as he noticed that Sean was staring at Lucy. "What's this Sean?" Zancrow said tauntingly as he wrapped his arm around the younger boy's shoulders. He leaned forward his grin growing ever the wider. Sean could smell the alcohol on his breath. It was strong and pungent making him ever more nauseated. He wanted to push Zancrow away but he knew angering Zancrow was not a good move, besides he was a close personal friend of his brother. "It looks like your girl is over their talking to some pink haired reject," Zancrow taunted as he took another sip of his spiked drink. "No wait don't tell me," Zancrow took a step back laughing, "that's not Natsu is it? The boy your girlfriend has the hots for?"

"Shut up," Sean snapped. "It's not like that. They're just talking."

"Oh Sean, Sean, Sean," Zancrow said shaking his head. "You're standing over here and that guy is putting the moves in on your girl. I mean look at her, giggling away at everything he's saying. They're just getting a little too close if you know what I mean?"

Sean glared at him. He hated Zancrow's comments but in a way he had to admit that the boy was right. He had hoped that his brother would have taught Natsu a lesson a back when he put him in the hospital, but it seems like the pink haired boy just wouldn't take a hint.

"So did you just come here to taunt me or is there another reason?" Sean said in agitation. Zancrow walked over swaying as he did. Sean didn't think the boy could be drunk already, and he probably wasn't. It was just the weird way the blonde was.

"Actually we came here to have some fun with the Academy kids," Zancrow smirked. He pointed to something on the other side of the room. When Sean turned to look he saw another group of boys near the door leading to the kitchen holding something. He was a little confused by what they were doing, and he turned to look back at Zancrow. The other boy chuckled to himself as he took another sip from his cup.

"What exactly are you guys planning on doing?" Sean asked. Though he really didn't care either way, he just didn't want to be caught up in the middle of anything.

"Nah ah, ah" Zancrow said wagging his finger. "If I did that than it would totally ruin the surprise. If I were you I would probably get the hell out of here soon. You might not want to be around later on."

With that Zancrow took his leave. He placed his hockey mask back on and walked back towards the crowd. As he did he pinched the undersides of two girls that were standing near the edge of the dance floor. A blonde freshman wearing a fairy costume and the other a black haired girl dressed in a bunny suit. The two looked around to see who had done it, but Zancrow had already disappeared into the crowd. Sean shook his head as he turned back to the table. He glanced at Natsu and Lucy and the rage began to swell up inside of him. He decided that he would take Zancrow's advice and leave the building. Just in case.

"Hey Natsu, Lucy I see you two are getting off rather well," Leo said laughing as he approached them. Natsu and Lucy both turned and grinned at him. Leo couldn't help but smirk at seeing the two of them getting along so well. "Lucy you look radiant as ever," Leo said as he brought her in for a hug. One that seemed to last longer than it really should have. Leo smirked at Natsu who began to get a little irritated by how long Leo was hugging the girl.

"Okay Leo you can let go of me now," Lucy laughed as she pulled away from him. "You are such a charmer aren't you?"

"Why yes, yes I am," Leo said jokingly. "Natsu I see that you're enjoying yourself. That's good." Natsu nodded his head in agreement. How could he not be happy when he was with Lucy.

For Halloween Leo decided to wear his same old out fit but he painted on some whiskers. He wore a formal suit as part of his costume, which struck Natsu as rather odd since that seemed to be the preferred style of fashion Leo wore anyways. He pretty much looked the same as he would any other day he even wore his sunglasses despite how dark it was. From what Natsu could see the only sign of a Halloween costume was the fake whiskers he painted on his face.

"So what are you supposed to be?" Lucy asked him as she looked over his costume.

"I went as myself. I mean why bother with perfection right?" Leo said jokingly. Lucy rolled her eyes while Natsu became dumbstruck. He actually didn't get it, but oh well it doesn't really matter.

"Oh Leo you are just as a big of a tool as you've always been," Erza said as she walked up behind the orange haired boy. Mira and Cana were following right behind her. Both Natsu and Lucy's eyes shot up the second they saw Cana.

"Cana what are you wearing?" Lucy gasped as her face began to flush.

Leo looked at her with a wide grin, "Come now Cana," he said, "what would your father think if he saw you walking around dressed like that? Not that I mind at all. In fact I think that it rather suits you."

"Thanks Leo," Cana said nodding her head. "Lucy your face is all red. What gives?"

"What do you mean?" Lucy said astonished. "Cana all you're wearing is a bikini!"

"Huh?" Cana said confused. She down over herself. It was true that she wore nothing but a black bikini top, but she was wearing a long black skirt as well with a black witch's hat. "Lucy I hardly call this a bikini. I mean I am wearing a skirt so I don' t think that counts."

"It's still way too revealing," Lucy pouted in defeat. Natsu placed his hand on her shoulder grinning at her. She looked back at him and by the sight of his smile hers slowly came back. She rested her hand on top of his caressing it gently. The sight of which made the others of the group snicker, but Natsu just ignored them. His attention was completely on the beautiful blonde in front of him. He couldn't take his eyes off of hers, and for the most part she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"By the way Lucy," Erza said interjecting, completely shattering the mood, "why aren't you wearing the costume I picked out for you?" Erza stared down at her. Lucy recoiled under Erza's leer as she grew a little nervous. Natsu could see it and it even made him feel a little uneasy. If there was one thing that Erza could do to anyone it could be to strike fear into them just by staring at them. But Erza didn't have a threatening demeanor about her, in fact she looked like she was more disappointed than anything.

"I really couldn't wear that Erza," Lucy said fretfully shaking her hands in front of her.

"Why not?" Erza demanded.

"Well I don't think it was appropriate to wear to something like this," Lucy said, she still sounded a little uneasy.

"Nonsense," Erza sighed shaking her head. "It's what I wore for last Halloween, it's completely acceptable."

"What you mean the cat suit?" Leo asked eagerly. "Oh yeah I remember that," Leo said, Natsu could see that the boy eyes had wondered off, even though he was wearing sunglasses. "That was a good year." He turned back to Lucy. "You know you should've totally worn that Lucy it would've looked good on you."

"Oh shut up you pervert," Lucy scoffed rolling her eyes.

"Yeah besides Lucy looks beautiful in the dress she has on now," Natsu stated. His face turned an immediate pink as he realized what he had just said. Everyone in the group turned to face him. His eyes immediately turned to face Lucy who looked just as surprised as anyone by the remark.

"Why thank you Natsu," she said smiling sweetly. Her face had turned a little pink from embarrassment by what he just said, but the remark made her feel happy.

"You know they do make quite a cute couple," Mira whispered into Cana's ear. Cana smirked back at her nodding in agreement.

"Yeah but Natsu is really cute, kind of a knucklehead, but he has his good qualities," Cana whispered back. "I mean Lucy does have a boyfriend though right? Well if she doesn't change her mind and swipe up Natsu while he's single she might just lose out." Mira giggled at the remark, nodding in agreement. "And you know I wouldn't mind getting in on some of that action if you know what I mean?"

Mira's face went blank as she stared at the now giggling Cana. She couldn't tell if the brunette was joking or being serious. She could never tell with Cana. "Oh that's funny Cana, you know you do tell some interesting jokes every once in awhile," Mira said smiling gently at her.

"Who said I was joking?" Cana said raising an eyebrow.

"Oh come now you two you're being ridiculous," Erza said shaking her head.

"Oh come on Erza," Cana said as she wrapped her arm around the red head's shoulders. Her smirk continued to grow as Erza's face began to flush. It usually took a lot to get Erza embarrassed, but Cana knew Erza well, perhaps a little too well for Erza's liking. "Don't tell you wouldn't mind having some that Natsu action either."

Erza's face grew a deep scarlet red and closed her eyes as though completely annoyed. When she opened them back up she leered over at Cana with one of her threatening glares, but it didn't deter Cana like it would some other people. She was right, Cana knew all too well. The Brunette just laughed at her as she pulled away. Mira on the other hand was just as dumbfounded as Erza, but Cana continued to laugh anyways.

"I was just kidding Erza," Cana said as she placed her hands on her hips. "You don't need to get all serious." The two girls stared her down, but it had no effect on Cana. The girl just smirked at the two of them

"Are you ladies talking about me?" Leo asked jokingly, a goofy grin crossed his face. "Cause I got to be honest it wouldn't be that big of a surprise if you were."

"Shut up Leo," the three of them said simultaneously causing Leo to just burst out laughing.

"So Lucy I was wondering—" Natsu began to ask her but suddenly stopped himself.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Well do you . . . you know . . . would you like to dance?" Natsu stuttered timidly as he tried to keep eye contact with her.

The blonde hair girl blushed lightly, her eyes turning away for just a moment before she looked back into his. "Yeah sure," she said smiling as she took his hand and the two of them made their way to the dance floor.

Even though the other girls were too busy talking to notice Leo caught the two of them out of the corner on his eye. He nudged Erza and without a word pointed at the two of them as they walked to the dance floor. A wide grin crossed Leo's face as he began to laugh to himself. The other girls watched too, Mira and Erza both grinned in delight while Cana just scoffed and rolled her eyes. Though she tried to pretend that she wasn't happy for them Leo could see that deep down in her eyes she truly was.

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. "Well it's about damn time you two."


	24. Chapter 24

Lucy smiled sweetly as Natsu placed his hands on her hips. She giggled softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Natsu couldn't help but grin as widely as he could. He was too happy for words, even if it was just a "friendly" dance he was still here in the moment with Lucy. He just stared deep down into her deep chocolate eyes. It didn't matter that the lights were dim and the only lights were the black lights he could still see how lovely her eyes were.

It was a slow song so the two of them had the chance to dance gently. For Natsu it seemed like every minute lasted for an hour. A small light blush crossed Lucy's cheeks. Neither of them exchanged words they were lost in the moment, the sound of music playing. Everyone around them vanished as though non-existent, like it was just the two of them in their own dark world.

Leo watched the two kids from the sides grinning to himself. Erza, Cana and Mira were off somewhere else but he didn't care. He grabbed a cup of punch and began to sip from it when out of the corner of his eye he saw Sean sitting alone at one of the tables at the far end of the cafeteria. The boy looked enraged even from afar. His blood seemed to boiling as Leo noticed that he too was watching Natsu and Lucy dance in the middle of the floor. Leo laughed to himself as he saw how angry Sean was.

"What a tool," Leo said to himself as he took another sip from his cup. Suddenly he found his eyes wondering somewhere else on the dance floor that intrigued him. He chuckled as he saw Grey only a few meters away from Natsu and Lucy dancing with Juvia. The young blue haired girl's face was as red as the lights but she was there pressed up against Grey. She looked incredibly happy and to Leo's surprise so did Grey. "Ah those two are finally getting closer together," Leo said as he took another sip. "About damn time."

"Hey Leo," Gajeel said as he walked up to the other boy. He was sulking a little bit as he went over to pour himself a cup of punch. Leo cocked an eyebrow wondering why the boy was even moodier than usual.

"What's gotten into you?" Leo asked.

"Nothing," Gajeel grumbled as he gulped his drink. After the first cup he immediately drained another, then another after that. Leo stared at him quizzically as he watched the boy drain another cup of punch. Gajeel mumbled to himself as he seemed to be frustrated at something.

"Nothing eh?" Leo said skeptically. He knew that the boy was lying about something. "Come on Gajeel tell me what's wrong." He told the boy setting his cup of the table. He folded his arms across his chest leering at Gajeel through his sunglasses. Gajeel's eyes glared back at him giving the impression that he was not interested in talking or discussing anything with Leo. "Come on Gajeel stop acting like a woman and tell me what's going on."

"I told you nothing," Gajeel growled at him. Leo wasn't deterred by the remark. He continued to leer at the boy through his glasses. Gajeel eventually realized that he wasn't going to win this staring contest. Gajeel sighed as he set his cup down and turned to face Leo. "Well the thing is Levy is pissed at me for some reason," Gajeel told him scratching his head.

"Uh huh," Leo said nodding his head. Again he was skeptical highly doubting that Gajeel didn't do anything that would have caused Levy to be upset. Leo shook his head in disbelief. "Well so did you do to upset her?"

"I don't knonw," Gajeel said waving his arms in the air. "She's a woman, how the hell am I supposed to know what's wrong?"

Leo laughed a little as he patted Gajeel on the back. "Oh yes women they are such wonderful creatures, yet they are confusing as hell. No man can ever know the ways of the female, and no man probably ever will. They are very delicate and fragile. As the late George Carlin once said, 'Women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is because men are stupid.'"

"What the hell does that mean?" Gajeel asked bewildered.

"It means my friend that the main reason why women are so crazy is because us men are so incredibly stupid," Leo said laughing. "If you want Levy to stop acting crazy than you need to stop acting like such an idiot when it comes to women."

Gajeel glared at him before turning away. He didn't have to take this. He wasn't being stupid the girl was just crazy. It wasn't his fault that she gets so easily offended by the most mundane things."

"Though I have to admit I'm a little surprised at you Gajeel," Leo said tauntingly, "I never would have thought you of all people would get so worked up over a girl."

"Ha," Gajeel gawked in fake laughter. "What makes you think I actually care about her huh? All I want to know is why that crazy girl is so made at me. It's nothing more than curiosity."

"Alright," Leo said nodding holding his hands in the air. "Whatever you say Gajeel. But just remember as George Meredith once said, 'A witty woman is a treasure; a witty beauty is a power.'"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Natsu and Lucy were busy dancing to another song. They didn't know how many songs have passed by since they started dancing together, but ultimately Natsu didn't care. It seemed like Lucy didn't seem to care that much either. She had completely forgotten about Sean and she was happy.<p>

Just then the song began to slow down as the DJ's voice boomed over the loud speaker. "Alright how are you doing Magnolia?" the voice called out over the loud speaker meeting a thunderous applause from the students. The sound snapped the two of them out of their trance as they both gazed over to the DJ booth as was everyone else. However, they were the only people that didn't break away from their dancing positions. Not that Natsu mind. He rather enjoyed holding Lucy. "Now it's almost midnight but it sounds like you're all still excited about this special Halloween night!" The crowd erupted into applause again, even Lucy removed her hand to join the crowd.

Natsu gazed back down at her, her face ever holding that sweet gentle grin he had come to love. He kept his hand complacent on her hips. She turned back and smiled softly at him. He couldn't help but grin back at her. Then to his joyful surprise she came in closer and rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Natsu in turn rested his chin on top of her head stroking her hair gently as he felt her hum against his bosom.

She could hear his heart beat it raced furiously. She giggled softly to herself as she could just feel how anxious Natsu was getting. But to her it was like quiet bumps. She rather enjoyed it, and even felt as though she could have fallen asleep right then and there had the DJ not come back onto the loud speaker. "Well everyone it has just turned midnight," to which the crowd roared in applause, "but before we get this started with our next song I would just like to—"

The DJ didn't have time to finish what he was saying. Suddenly a loud bang erupted from the kitchen. Shrieks of horror echoed through the room as Lucy pulled away from Natsu to see what was going on. Natsu also looked over to where the sound of the explosion had come from. People began to clamor about what was going on, Lucy was a little startled and found herself hugging Natsu tightly. But while everyone was focused on the kitchen nobody noticed the green smoke that began to arise from the cafeteria floor.

"Ah what is that horrible stench," Lucy said as she plugged her nose. Natsu's face grew red with embarrassment.

"I swear it wasn't me," Natsu pleaded.

"No not you idiot," Lucy scolded rolling her eyes. Just then Natsu could smell it too. The horrific stench of sulfur was palpable in the air. He too grabbed his nose at the smell.

As more and more students began to smell the stench they began to rush for the door. "Okay everyone just file out of the doors one at a time," the DJ called over the loud speaker. "Try and be safe, there's no need for anyone to get hurt. This is just a prank, there's no need to get hysterical."

Lucy attempted to run for the door herself, but Natsu grasped her hand. She turned and looked at him, her eyes full of worry. Some people began to run into her, but Natsu pulled her into him as to shield her from the hysterical students. He felt people running into him, nearly knocking him over. He slowly made his way over to the door nestling Lucy tightly in his arms.

At the same time Lucy gazed around the room looking for Sean. She didn't know where he was, but she kept her hand over her nose to keep the stench away. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep the stench away. Natsu didn't cover his nose he was too busy using his hands to keep Lucy safe. Lucy continued to look for Sean, but her eyes began to tear up. She didn't know what else was in that green gas, but it was causing her eyes to burn. She coughed uncontrollably her eyes were starting to get inflamed.

Natsu finally managed to get Lucy to the main cafeteria door, but he still wasn't out of the school just yet. At least they were away from the stench, but the crowd of students was still too large for them to make their way out. "Are you okay Lucy?" Natsu asked keeping his eyes in front of him. Lucy nodded her head in reply but Natsu didn't actually see it. She continued to cough and Natsu rubbed her back hoping to ease her cough.

Once outside Natsu made his way over to the open grass near the girl's dormitory. Lucy was still coughing but it seemed to get easier on her now that she was able to breath in fresh air. He looked for a place to sit, and he managed to find a concrete bench under a tree near the dormitory. He helped Lucy sit down, still coughing but at least it wasn't as bad as it was before. Her eyes were still red, but they seemed to be clearing up as the longer they stayed in the fresh air.

"Are you okay Lucy?" Natsu asked, he was incredibly worried about her. She looked back up at him. She attempted to smile at him in hopes of lessening his worry, but it didn't. Natsu sat down next to her holding her in his arms. Her cough slowly faded away as she rested her head in his chest closing her eyes.

* * *

><p>Leo stood outside the main school door helping students file through. Even though some of the students managed to get out someone lit another stink bomb in the middle of the lobby causing the students to be in even more disarray. Though from what Leo could see some of the students eyes were red and even he himself was having trouble seeing despite his lack of exposure to the gas. He could still smell that awful stench, but he just kept he sleeve over his nose and helped pull students out of the way to make room for others. Gajeel was standing next to him helping as well, though he was doing more shoving than he was pulling.<p>

The crowd soon stopped out in the middle of the courtyard, the voices of the students rabble was all that could be heard. Many of the kids were shivering in the chilly night air. But more students were concerned about what had happened in the cafeteria than they were about the weather.

"What the hell happened?" Gajeel growled as he grabbed a young boy who was in complete disarray and threw him out down the side of the steps.

"I don't know," Leo said. "But obviously it's just some assholes."

"Leo do you know what happened here?" Erza demanded as she walked up behind him. Her face was grave and serious. Here eyes were a slight pink and she let off a few coughs even though she tried her best to contain them. Cana was standing right behind her along with Mira, Elfman and Lissana. Elfman covered both his sisters with his rather large arms, as both of them continued to cough uncontrollably. They held their hands over their mouths, their eyes shut from the pain of the gas. Elfman wasn't coughing at all, but his face was both concerned and angry by the sight of his sisters in such dismay.

"Sorry Erza I have no idea," Leo told her as he helped pulled a couple of girls out of the way.

Leo looked back at her, but then something caught his eye. As he looked closely he saw a boy standing outside the edge of the crowd laughing. He could see the boy's face he was holding up a white hockey mask just above his face. He wore a black leather jacket over some torn up jeans. It didn't take Leo long to finally recognize the boy.

"Zancrow," Leo hissed under his breath.

"What?" Erza asked puzzled raising an eyebrow and tilting her head.

"Watch out Erza," Leo said as he pushed her out of his way and made a dash for the laughing boy.

"Leo what are you—" Erza didn't have time to finish what she was saying as she and the others watched Leo make a run towards the crowd. "Leo?"

Leo ran ferociously, as fast as his feet would carry him. It didn't take long before Zancrow noticed him the orange haired boy running towards him. Leo pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, people stepping out of his way. Leo leered at the other boy as he flashed him a wicked smirk before dropping the mask over his face and running back through the crowd.

Though he had disappeared into the large cluster of students. But that didn't deter Leo from his goal. When Zancrow made his way through the students he knocked over everyone that was in his way. Leo leapt over each kid he soon found himself outside the crowd of students. Other kids watched as Leo ran after Zancrow like a mad men.

Soon Zancrow came up to the school's gate where he turned to face Leo, waving his arms in the air tauntingly. Leo continued to sprint at the blonde haired boy but after he made his way out of the cluster he was free to run with full on speed at the blonde boy. Zancrow laughed at him and ran down the road and disappeared behind the wall.

Leo ran to the gates and chased after Zancrow, but once he had past the wall he was struck with a blow to the chin that sent him hurtling into the air. He was hit so hard that he flew from his feet and collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. He yelled out in pain grasping his chin as he attempted to pick himself up, but was refused as a large boot came down jamming him hard into the gut knocking back into the ground.

When he looked up he saw Zancrow and three other boys standing over him. Zancrow had raised his mask and had a depraved smirk on his face. The boy who had his leg on him was rather large, and large was an understatement. The boy had to be about two meters tall and weighed somewhere around hundred and forty kilograms. His foot itself had to be about the size of Leo's entire torso. Though he wore a similar white hockey mask as Zancrow he had a long curly mane of black hair flowing out of it. Over his large exterior he wore a brown leather jacket and jeans, but he also wore large brown leather boots.

Another boy with similar curly hair but had a far smaller physique in comparison stood on the other side. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows thin. His face was painted a light grown with scars stretching from either side of his lips all the way up to his ears, like a scarecrow. He wore a shaggy tan vest over his frail, skeletal like body. The boy snickered as he peered down at Leo.

Another boy had long gray hair that he kept gelled up at the front, but let the rest fall gently behind his ears. It was almost longer on the top than it was anywhere else on his head. He wore a pair of pale blue glasses with light blue lenses and a navy blue trench coat over a grey sweater. He was the only boy not in a costume. He didn't snicker or smirk like the others, instead he kept his cool but still had a very serious demeanor about him.

"Well, well look who what we got here," Zancrow snickered as he kneelt down next to Leo. "You look like you're in pain," Zancrow said poking Leo in the cheek. Leo groaned under the weight of the large boy's foot. He glared at Zancrow who just returned it with a smirk.

Zancrow reached over and grabbed Leo's sunglasses chuckling as he did so. "Leo I got to be honest, how the hell do you see out of these?" Zancrow asked as he placed the sunglasses on his face. Leo just growled at him, but found himself exhaling as the large boy continued to put pressure on his gut. "Rustyrose how do you think these look on me?" Zancrow asked turning to the gray haired boy with a goofy sneer on his face.

"Zancrow please," Rustyrose sighed playing with his own glasses. "Those just don't suit you at all."

"Ah really," Zancrow said frowning removing the glasses. "Well if that's true than what use for these do I have?" With that Zancrow threw them away out into the grass field. Leo snarled at the boy, but with the boot on his gut he still couldn't say anything. "So what do you guys think that we should do with him?" Zancrow said turning to the other boys.

"I say we take him and throw him off the peer," the smaller, skeletal boy said.

"Are you stupid Zoldeo?" Rustyrose sighed. "We would have to drag him all the way there and then throw him off. Do you really think that we'll be able to carry him all that way?"

"I guess you're right," Zoldeo sighed.

"Well can we come up with something already?" the large boy said. "My foot is starting to get tired."

"Don't worry Kain we'll figure something out soon big guy," Zancrow told him as he patted the hefty boy on the back.

"I say you stink bomb him in the face," a voice called out from the distance. Leo's eyes shot up as he recognized the voice. He knew it was true so he didn't need to look when Damian came walking up with another young man along side of him. The other boy was tall and well built with mocha colored skin. Even for a young age he still had a small goatee and spiked up chocolate colored hair. His eyes were serious as he glared at the other boys. His muscular arms crossed over his chest, and despite the cold weather he still wore a white tank top on jeans. Damian on the other hand wore a long black trench coat over a black undergarment and carried a large pumpkin head under his arm.

"Damian," Leo managed to utter under the weight of the boot.

"Hello Leo it looks like you're not doing all too well," Damian smirked as he looked down upon the orange haired boy. "You look like you need a hand, the black haired boy smirked.

Just then a cup of punch came soaring down smacking down directly landing on Damian's right eye drenching his face with punch. The boy closed his eyes and let out a deep exhale, "Ow," he sighed annoyed. The group of teens all turned to see who had thrown the cup. "Well, well, looky here," Damian chuckled. Leo tried to turn his head around to see what was going on, but couldn't. "I thought you would've learned your lesson by now."

"Yeah well I'm a slow learner," Gajeel chuckled as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Well after tonight you're going to be an even slower learner," Damian said shrugging.

**A/N: So I like to extend my gratitude to all of you that have stuck with this story. Many of you have provided great feedback and I greatly appreciate it.**

**But many people who used to review no longer do and this is how I feel: (youtube) watch?v=Anqrz6CzCMc**


	25. Chapter 25

"Are you better now Lucy?" Natsu asked worry in his voice. He held Lucy in his arms as the two of them sat there on that concrete bench. He rubbed her back gently to ease her up.

A cold chill blew through the air causing Lucy to shiver. Natsu held her even closer in an attempt to keep her warm. Lucy didn't mind it too much in fact she rather enjoyed it. She liked being nestled in Natsu's arm and have her head resting in his chest. She felt comfortable and despite the cold, she felt the warmth of Natsu's body. She felt herself falling asleep but she didn't want to.

"Yeah I'm fine," Lucy said softly rubbing her head deep in Natsu's chest. "You've been a really good friend to me Natsu," she said smiling sweetly, her eyes still shut. Natsu smiled gently at her, he was incredibly happy that she was there with him in that cold dark night. Everyone else was in disarray trying to figure what exactly was going on, but he didn't care. It was finally peaceful even amongst all the chaos. Though it didn't last all that long.

"Lucy are you okay?" Natsu heard Sean say as Natsu saw him approaching from the large crowd. His smile quickly faded as he saw the other boy walking towards them. He suddenly grasped Lucy more tightly trying to shield her. He didn't want to let her go.

Lucy lifted her head from Natsu's chest. Her eyes were no longer red, and her cough was gone. "Sean?" Lucy said rubbing her eyes. "Sean where were you?"

"Hey sweetheart I'm sorry," Sean said apologetically as he kneelt down in front of her. His eyes gazed back over to Natsu, he could just see the hatred in his eyes. But Lucy couldn't see it since her eyes were still dreary. "Thanks for taking care of her Natsu but I got it from here."

"It's fine Sean," Natsu said not moving an inch. "I'm more than happy to take care of Lucy unlike some people." Sean's eyes immediately slanted down at him as he began to seethe. Lucy noticed as her eyes darted from Sean to Natsu and she began to fell very uncomfortable.

"Hey Natsu perhaps I should go with Sean," Lucy whispered. She attempted to stand up as Sean took her hand to help her. Natsu was reluctant to let Lucy go, but she rested her hand on his shoulder giving him the implication that he should let her go.

Though it was the last thing he wanted to do he let her slip through his fingers. She looked back at him, sorrow eminent in his eyes. He looked back at her, his heart aching. She mouthed the word bye to him as she followed Sean back towards the girl's dorm room. Natsu waved goodbye to her but he could see the sorrow in her eyes.

Natsu sat there, his chest in pain. He hated seeing her walk away with Sean, but what could he do. He wanted to call out to her, he wanted to run up and deck Sean in the face and take her back but he couldn't. He hated Sean for taking her away, but he hated himself even more for allowing Lucy to leave. He realized that maybe he just made a huge mistake.

* * *

><p>Damian stood up glaring at Gajeel, who in turn returned the glare himself. While the other boy's attention on Gajeel Leo reached up and grasped Kain's foot and in one swell movement twisted the ankle. Kain let out a scream of pain as he stumbled over grasping at his foot. Once the foot was removed from his gut he rolled over and summersaulted back up to his feet. Once on his feet Leo brought back his arm and struck Kain in the nose causing the boy to completely topple over.<p>

Leo's movements caught the other boys by surprise, but Leo took the opportunity to back away and he ran backwards towards the gate. He watched them closely, but none of the other boys attempted to make a move towards him. Damian watched as the boy backed away but then turned his attention to the staggering Kain. His expression was unimpressed as though he completely expected Leo to pull off this stunt. Zancrow on the other hand found the whole thing humorous as he burst out laughing. Zoldeo was the only one that actually appeared shocked about what had transpired.

"You okay?" Damian asked the rather large boy. Kain nodded his head as he found his way back to his feet. His nose wasn't bleeding but it was a deep shade of red. "Wow Leo his nose is still intact," Damian sighed shaking his head. "I guess you're just not as strong as you used to be." Leo glowered at him, but he said nothing. Gajeel just smirked as he stared directly at the large boy.

"Well if you guys want a fight than by all means bring it on," Gajeel said eagerly as he taunted the group.

"Yeah well we will bring it on bitch," Zancrow shouted as he stumbled forward, bumping into Damian.

"Zancrow are you drunk?" Damian demanded as he pushed the blonde haired boy off of him.

"What? No," Zancrow chimed extending the last syllable a little too long. Damian could smell the alcohol on his breath.

Zancrow pulled out his flask and took a large gulp from it. "But I might be now," he said laughing.

"Give me that," Damian ordered as he took the flask from the boy's hand.

"Ha," Zancrow blurted out in a drunken fit. "Jokes on you" he hiccupped, "I already finished it."

Damian said nothing but he leered seriously at the blonde haired boy. Eventually he sighed as he ripped open Zancrow's jacket and forcefully shoved the flask back in its pocket before throwing the flap back at Zancrow. The other boy just chuckled at him, almost to the point that he was giggling uncontrollably. The tanned skin boy just shook his head in annoyance at Zancrow who looked over at him and gave a slight uncaring shrug.

"Well as much as I would love to kick your ass I have places I need to be," Damian said smugly shrugging.

"Sounds to me like you're running away," Gajeel taunted.

"No it's jus that this is just not worth my time," Damian said shrugging. "Besides these guys are more than capable of handling the two of you," Damian said before turning around. "Come on Azuma," Damian said to the tanned skin boy, "we don't need to be here for this." Azuma nodded as he followed Damian down the road. "Have fun Zancrow."

"Oh I will," Zancrow said as he cracked his knuckles. Neither Gajeel nor Leo were intimidated, but rather prepared themselves for any oncoming fight. Kain let out a loud roar and charged directly at Leo. Leo didn't falter but waited for Kain to come in within reach. Once Leo was within reach Kain lifted his fist in the air and with all his body strength hurled it at Leo, who dodge it with ease. Leo quickly ducked under the fist and moved to the side. The momentum caused Kain to stumble forward and Leo took advantage of the situation grabbing Kain from behind the head and throwing him to the ground.

Zoldeo came rushing forward except he was going directly for Gajeel. Gajeel grinned to himself as he waited for the boy. Zoldeo came dashing forward his fist high in the air, but before he could even had a chance to take a swing Gajeel stepped forward and landed a blow directly on the nose knocking the boy down flat onto the ground.

Zancrow burst out laughing while Rustyrose scowled. Rustyrose crossed his arms across his chest. Kain attempted to pick himself up but Leo grabbed and lifted his head by his hair and Leo jammed his knee into the large boy's face. The blow knocked the other boy down to his side, some blood squirted down onto the ground. He brought his hands up to his face to conceal the injury, but Leo could still see some of the blood seeping through his fingers.

Zoldeo lay on the ground, Gajeel standing above him. Zoldeo was dizzy and he laid on the ground motionless. Zancrow began walking up to the two of them Gajeel catching him out of the corner of his eye as he saw Zancrow approaching. He moved his glare from Zoldeo to the on coming blonde haired boy. The boy staggered forward in his drunken state.

Once he was close enough to him Zancrow took a swing that Gajeel was able to dodge it with ease. The miss caused Zancrow to stumble forward. Gajeel then took the opportunity to throw one of his own punches but to his surprise Zancrow brought his own arm up and swiped the blow away unfazed by it. He then spun around in one motion and laid a blow to the side of Gajeel's cheek knocking the boy over. He managed to stagger but he kept his feet. He attempted to take another swing but this time Zancrow grabbed his wrist pulling Gajeel forward and into one of his own punches that landed right in his gut. Gajeel lurched forward under the impact of the blow.

"Come on metal head," Zancrow taunted as he shoved Gajeel backwards. "Is that all you got? Come on!"

"That's enough!" A female voice called out from near the gate. Gajeel and Leo turned around to see Erza standing there with Cana, Mira, Elfman and even Jet and Droy. Gajeel had no idea why the hell those two were even there but he didn't really care all that much.

"Oh come now sweetheart," Zancrow said as he walked up to her. He kept a wide smirk on his face. Erza didn't budge at all, she just kept her arms folded around her chest scowling at Zancrow. Mira looked a little worried about what was going on, but Elfman stood there next to her firm in his stance, ready for anything. "We're just having a little bit of fun." Zancrow chuckled waving his hands in the air. He moved in closer to her, a wide grin on his face as he was only a few centimeters from her face.

He then lifted his hand up to touch her chin to which she swiped away and immediately jammed her knee high up in Zancrow's groin. Zancrow let out a loud yelp as he fell to his knees grabbing his private area.

"I'm sorry but your fun is over," Erza growled.

"Ah you bitch," Zancrow cursed as he continued to grab his crotch. "That wasn't very nice."

"I'm sorry but I don't give a fuck," Erza said scolding him. Cana and Elfman burst out laughing, but Mira grasped to herself. Jet and Droy both recoiled from the sight of the blow. "Leo are these guys responsible for setting off the stink bombs in the cafeteria?" Erza demanded but her eyes were still focused on Zancrow.

While everyone was busy looking at Zancrow, Zoldeo and Kain took the opportunity to get back to their feet. Kain's nose had slowed on bleeding, but it was still pretty bad. Zoldeo ran back to Rustyrose who was standing their scolding like he had been. He wasn't exactly interested in getting into any fights, so he ultimately to stand by and watch how things turned out.

"Yeah it was them," Leo told her, he seemed to be far more relaxed.

"There were two others here too," Gajeel told her. Erza's eyes darted towards him. "Weren't you boys specifically told to NOT get involved in any fights?" Erza exclaimed scolding at Gajeel. The boy suddenly realized that Erza's glare fell on him. He made certain to stay out of her leg reach, which for now he was safe. "No matter," Erza said shaking her head. For now we'll take these boys in."

"I'm sorry but I must interject here," Rustyrose said stepping forward. "But did any of you actually see us light any stink bombs in the cafeteria?" he asked shrugging.

Erza's eyes turned to Leo as he sighed to himself. "Well Leo did you actually see any of these boys actually light off the stink bombs?" Erza asked him. She sounded far more annoyed than anything. Her eyes then turned to Rustyrose but he didn't stagger. He seemed to be serious, but even more so he didn't sound like he was interested in escalating the situation anymore than it already was.

"In truth," Leo sighed. "No I didn't see that they actually did it. I know they did it though." He said the words calmly but he knew that it was useless. Rustyrose was right, he didn't see it and there was no way he could have proved that it was them that did it in the first place.

"And let's be honest here there had to be at least a few hundred other kids that don't attend the Academy at that dance tonight," Rustyrose said matter of factually. "There's no way that you could determine that it was us that were the ones that lit off the stink bombs in the cafeteria."

Erza shook her head sighing to herself. Zancrow took the opportunity to pick himself up back to his feet. "That's right you didn't see us do anything did you?" he chuckled as he limped back towards his other group of friends. With each step he had to let out an exhale of breathe trying to keep his groin free in hopes of relieving the pain. "That means you got nothing on us," Zancrow taunted as he finally managed to limp back to Rustyrose.

"They're right Leo," Erza sighed in defeat. "Unless you actually saw them do it then there's no way that we can accuse them of doing it."

"I know," Leo growled. He couldn't believe that those assholes were actually going to get away with it. The thought angered him but he knew that there was nothing that he could.

"But I highly suggest you leave immediately," Erza stated, her scowl returning as she glared at Rustyrose and Zancrow.

"All right, all right," Rustyrose said holding his arms up. "We'll just be leaving now." Rustyrose turned around to walk away. Zoldeo didn't hesitate as he caught up to walk beside the other boy. Kain looked back and forth between Rustyrose and Erza, but ultimately decided that he would follow his friends. Zancrow was a little more hesitant, not sure if he wanted to leave. But as he observed that he was outnumbered, especially since Elfman, Droy and Jet were also present he decided that it would be better if he left too.

"Oh by the way red," Zancrow said turning back to her. "The next time you want to touch my groin all you need to do is ask."

Erza's eyes lit up as she took a threatening step forward. Zancrow let out a loud laugh as he jumped back throwing his arms in the air. His wide smirk only made Erza that much more furious as she seriously contemplated finishing what Leo and Gajeel had started, but she decided against it. The boy just snickered off as he followed the others down the roadway into the night.

Leo sighed as he placed his hands in his pockets and walked back towards the school in a sulk. He felt terrible, he knew that they were responsible for the whole fiasco and yet he had to stand there and watch as they went free. It outraged him, and even worse they had gotten the better of him, not because they just got away with it but because he was caught off guard and found himself pinned to the ground. Had Gajeel not come when he had he didn't know what they would have done to him. He didn't' want to think about it.

Erza looked at him, some concern in her eyes. She wasn't alone Mira and the others were also worried, even Cana. Leo sulked by her and the others not even muttering a word. "Leo are you okay?" Erza asked as he passed by her. He didn't say anything he just kept on walking.

"Leo?" Mira asked him, she looked incredibly worried about him. But like Erza he said nothing, just continued to walk on by.

"Leo?" Erza snapped. Her voice managed to cause Leo to stop for just a second.

"Leave me alone," he sighed sadly. With that he just kept walking and made his way back towards the boys dorm. Gajeel followed, not saying anything, not even making eye contact with the others. Like them he too was concerned about Leo but he figured it be better to just leave the boy alone.

"Do you think that he'll be okay?" Mira asked Erza. Her face was full of worry. Elfman attempted to comfort his sister by placing his arm on her shoulder. She turned to her brother trying to smile at him, but it didn't ease his concern for her.

"I don't think you should worry too much about him Mira," Erza told her. Though the sound of her voice didn't make her sound believable. Even Mira could hear that Erza was concerned as well. "Leo's strong, he'll be fine. I've seen him come up from worse."

"Well I just wonder what he's so upset about?" Cana said folding her arms across her chest. She was skeptical about Leo's actions. Erza looked at her, she understood how Leo was, but she didn't really didn't know what to tell her. She figured it was better to just let it go. She knew that Leo was strong, he should be better the next day, or at least in a couple of days. "Well we might as well head back and get everything settled," Erza said. The others nodded in agreement as they all walked back past towards the gate.


	26. Chapter 26

The next day Natsu went looking for Leo. Gajeel had told him about the fight the other night and about how upset Leo was. Though Gajeel didn't really understand why Leo was so upset he didn't bother asking. Leo didn't want to talk about it so he knew it was better to just leave the boy alone. Natsu was curious because he had rarely ever seen Leo get upset. That wasn't like Leo, he had always been laid back and relaxed even in the practice room.

He went looking for him during lunch but was unable to find him anywhere in the main building, and he knew that Leo wasn't one to eat in the cafeteria. So as he searched for him around the school grounds he eventually found the orange haired boy sitting under one of the cherry trees down the hill by the gym. He was still a little sulky, but he seemed to have regained most of his composure since the other night.

"Hey Leo," Natsu said as he approached the boy. Leo looked up giving Natsu a half hearted grin. Natsu could see that Leo was attempting to force the grin in order to make him not look as depressed as he really was, but Natsu knew. Even worse Leo wasn't wearing his sunglasses that he always wore.

"Hey Natsu," Leo sighed in greeting. He was sitting there eating a sandwich, but he had only taken a bite of it. Natsu figured that in his emotional state the orange haired boy probably wasn't that hungry. "How are you doing?"

"I'm all right," Natsu answered as he took a seat next to the orange haired boy. He gazed up to the leaves as they gently blew in the breeze. The sound of the leaves swaying provided him some comfort. "Gajeel told me you were upset about last night."

"Yeah," Leo mumbled as he took a nibble of his sandwich.

"What happened that's got you so upset?" Natsu asked him. Leo turned and stared at the pink haired boy. He looked as though he didn't want to talk to him, but he figured that perhaps it was for the best.

"I saw Zancrow the other night," Leo told him as he placed his sandwich down on a napkin that he had laid out next to him.

"Who's Zancrow?" Natsu asked, he didn't look at Leo when asking. He looked back up towards the leaves watching the sway. The sunlight shining through them was blinding but it was still peaceful.

"Zancrow is," Leo paused to think his words over, "Zancrow is a friend of Damian's. He was one of the boys that set off the stink bombs last night," Leo told him.

"I wouldn't have expected you to be so passionate about some stink bombs ruining the dance the other night," Natsu said to him. "I thought that it was just a stupid prank."

"It was," Leo told him. "You see the problem isn't that Zancrow lit off a stink bomb. The reason why I'm so torn is that Zancrow was one of the boys that helped Damian send those two students to the hospital two years ago."

"What?" Natsu asked. He was interested in the whole thing now. "That's why you wanted to catch him last night right? Because he was there that night?"  
>Leo nodded his head. "I remember seeing Zancrow that night when it all happened, and even though I told the authorities what I saw it was still not enough to get the boy in trouble. You see because I wasn't there during the time the students were assaulted I couldn't confirm that it was them that actually them. And last night when I knew that it was Zancrow that had set off the stink bombs in the cafeteria I couldn't catch them," Leo sighed. He slammed his elbow against the trunk of the tree with such force that he actually broke some of the bark. Natsu stared at him, he could see the pain in the boy's eyes as he reflected on the story. He could understand why Leo was so upset now.<p>

"I'm sorry," Natsu said to him, his voice sorrowful. He didn't know what else to say to Leo.

"It's like no matter what I do, it's like no matter how many times I try to get back at these assholes for what they did it seems like I can never do it," Leo growled to himself.

"Well why don't we just head over there and beat the holy living shit out of them?" Natsu asked a smirk crossing his face though it quickly disappeared as Leo shook his head.

"It's not that simple Natsu," Leo told him. "Gildarts made me promise to never go out and start fights with others, otherwise I wouldn't be allowed to train again with him in the practice rom. I can't just go and beat the crap out of them and get revenge on them. Otherwise I wouldn't be any better than them."

"Well that sucks," Natsu sighed leaning back. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," Leo said in defeat. "Somehow hope that I can finally catch them, but I don't know if I ever will."

Natsu wanted to say something to comfort Leo but he knew that there really wasn't anything that he could say. He knew that the boy was hurt and Leo had always been a good friend to him, but now he didn't know what to do. He felt hopeless.

"By the way Natsu how was your date last night with Lucy," Leo asked, a sudden smirk crossing his face. Natsu's face turned a light pink, he had no idea how this had all just turned on him, but at least Leo didn't look as depressed.

"It was okay," Natsu told him, he began to chuckle to himself. "That was until the stink bomb went off, but even than it was fine."

"Oh really?" Leo asked intrigued, it seemed as though he completely forgot about his own problems. "What happened?" Leo asked curiously.

"Sean," Natsu hissed, as though the word itself left a vile taste in his mouth. "He decided to come up and take Lucy away."

"Oh I see," Sean pouted. He closed his eyes and let out a deep exhale. "Natsu I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"For what?" Natsu chuckled. "It's not like you were the one that took her away. You don't have to apologize for anything. You're the one that needs to be cheered up, I'm just bitching about my stupid problems. I mean I know that Lucy is Sean's girlfriend but I still don't get why she's dating that ass."

"Natsu Damian is Sean's brother, I should have warned you about him before hand. I should have let you known that there was something wrong with him, but I didn't and it got you put in the hospital," Leo sighed apologetically. "It's my fault that all this has happened."

"Don't worry about it," Natsu said quietly as he rested his head back against the trunk of the tree. Leo gazed over at him half expecting Natsu to be outraged by the whole thing, but surprisingly he wasn't.

"There's nothing you could have done about it anyways," Natsu admitted. He was calm not a hint of anger or frustration in his voice. He couldn't get mad at Leo, not someone who had been such a good friend to him for so long. "I just don't get why Lucy is dating that guy if he's such a fucking douche bag."

"It wasn't her decision to date Sean and even though I knew that Sean was Damian's brother I didn't stop her," Leo said sadly. "You see when Lucy started to date Sean he was actually an alright guy. He was very polite and sincere both to her and to everyone else. So Sean became quickly accepted into the group though I still had my doubts since I already had an idea of his family background, I mean I know that he comes from a wealthy family, but so does his brother and look how he turned out." Natsu was a little more interested now. He was finally going to hear the story of Sean and Lucy.

* * *

><p>It was a bright summer's day as Lucy stood outside on her father's estate looking at the orchards that grew in the backyard. Lucy's father was rich, incredibly rich. Her father owned at least a hundred acres of land just outside the city near the mountains. The front yard was decorated with trees and gardens as far as the eye could see. Different variations of evergreens, palm trees and wildflowers were used in vast patterns to give the front its unique beauty. A drive way lined up from a large brick gate with platinum bars that had a large H inscribed in the center. The drive way was constructed out of fine even flag stone and it led right up to the door step of the estate in a large circle that was used for parking visiting cars. In the middle of that circle was a large clay fountain that ejected water high into the air and stood over a marble pool. The back yard had two pools that stretched the length of Olympic pools made out of white marble with a dozen fountains stretching down the center shooting water off into the sky. On either side were two orchards of different trees, on the right oranges and on the left apples. Cherry blossoms lined up the middle was the pathways on both sides of the pool had a mixture of roses and other flowers that hugged the bushes in decoration.<p>

The house itself was rather large and probably far bigger than it needed to be for just the teenaged girl and her daughter. The estate stood about four stories tall and was about the length of ten acres each side alone. It was constructed out of fine white stone that bleached the outside with stone molding that had been sculpted to depict an array of animals and flowers. There were white curtains that hung in the windows, there were fine silk that were blinding to the eye if the sun were to shine on them. The front door was massive at least a small mob of people could fit through it at the same time. It stood strong and proud made out of thick oak wood and polished to glisten in the daylight. On either side were potted plants that contained both wild flowers and small saguaro cacti.

Lucy stood on the porch that over looked the backyard of the estate. It was on the second story and had two flights of stairs that split down in the middle, constructed of flagstone like the rest of the porch. The banister was constructed of marble as well that blended in with the rest of the estate. On the porch were at least a dozen pebble tech tables with large gaping egg white umbrellas. As she over looked the estate she could see some of the gardeners working on the estate, tending to the flowers and mowing the grass lawns.

She wore a soft pink sundress that blew in the wind. The fabric was so light that one could still see the white bikini she wore beneath it, but since she was alone it didn't bother her. She was a little self conscious about being too revealing in public but she was never ashamed of her body. On her head she wore a white sun hat and sunglasses to shield her eyes from the bright sun that was beating down upon the Earth. She was debating what she would do that day. Perhaps she would visit the horse stable near the back of the estate and ride one of the horses around in the mountains. But then she realized that she didn't want to change out of her sundress.

"Excuse me Miss Lucy," a voice called to her from the doorway. Lucy turned around to see a pink haired girl in a maid's outfit standing behind her.

"Yes Virgo," Lucy said softly as she smiled at the other girl.

"Your father wishes to see you in his study," Virgo explained to her.

"My father?" Lucy said confused. She wondered what her father would want with her. He was always so busy that she rarely ever saw him, and most of the time he always wished to be left alone, even at home, so that he could concentrate on his business. If he was calling her in for something than it must be serious. "What does he want?"

"He did not say Miss," Virgo explained. "He just demanded that you meet him in his study immediately."

"Oh okay," Lucy said as she made her way to the door.

When she had reached her father's study she saw him standing behind his desk peering out through the large window that he had located behind him. His study was in itself large, covered from wall to wall with book cases each containing tomes and novels. It was dark in the room apart from the light that was coming in through the window. Even though he had a large crystal chandelier hanging upon the ceiling he only used it at night.

"You wanted to see me dad?" Lucy asked as she walked into the room.

"Yes Lucy I did," her father said not turning to her. Even at home he always dressed professionally wearing his suit. He never changed it was the only thing that she ever remembered him wearing. "I wanted to ask you how things were going."

Lucy was a bit shocked. Her father rarely ever cared about how she was doing so it was surprise for her to hear him ask. Especially that he would interrupt his busy life just to ask her how she was doing was unlike her father. "I'm fine she," she said quietly.

"That's good," the old man said. He still didn't face her. "Lucy you are a young woman now. You have grown from my little girl and become the lady you are now." Lucy was more puzzled than ever to hear her father speak in such a way, and she was even more curious about where he was going with it. "I think it is about time that you started dating."

Lucy's head shot back, she had not expected her father to say such a thing. She thought, or more like she knew that her father didn't care about her personal life as long as she stayed out of trouble. It bothered her now that he would even bring up such a sensitive subject. Perhaps he was referring to the "talk" that she had always heard about.

"However," her father began again, "you are a woman of an elite class and therefore you should only date those worthy of your hand." Lucy rolled her eyes. It was her father's same old cliché 'they were better than everyone else,' speech that he would always preach to her since she was little. Yet she thought the whole thing was garbage. She had grown to care about her friends; Erza, Gray, Mira, Lisanna, Elfman and even Natsu. She blushed to herself as she began to think about the pink haired boy and just how close of friends they had become until he moved. It wasn't until he moved that she realized just how much she had really cared about him, perhaps beyond the levels of normal friendship. "It is therefore," she heard her father say sternly as she immediately snapped out of her daydream, "that I think that you should begin dating Sean Konstantine."

"Who?" Lucy said in shock. "Was her father really going to dictate who she should start dating? There was no way that she could accept that.

"Sean Konstantine is a young man around your age," her father said still keeping his back towards her. "He is a nice handsome young man part of the Konstantine fortune. Though I think it would be better for you to date the older brother Damian Mr. Konstantine believes that you and Sean would be a far better match due to both age and interests."

"No way!" Lucy exclaimed. Her father still didn't' turn around to address her. "There's no way that I'm dating some guy I don't even know! And isn't Konstantine one of your business rivals? Why on Earth would you have me date his sone."

"Yes you will date Sean," her father ordered. His voice was stern and serious. "Though Konstantine and I are business rivals we find that a union between you and Sean will create a better interest for both our companies."

Lucy knew exactly why her father was doing this now. He was doing it as a way of avoiding some law. The idea made her furious. "I will not begin dating some boy I don't know for your benefit!" Lucy yelled.

"Yes you will," her father said sternly. "You will unless you wish for me to cut you off."

"What?" Lucy said shocked by her father's threat. "You will start dating Sean Konstantine or I will permanently cut you off. That means you will go to Magnolia Academy and though I will pay for your schooling now I will not pay for your college, I will not pay for your living expenses once you turn eighteen, I will not pay for any food that you want and I will certainly not pay for any food or supplies. I will simply cut you off permanently."

"You can't do that!" Lucy cried, she was on the verge of tears now.

"Yes I can," her father stated. "Once you are eighteen you are a legal adult and I have no inclination to support you. You will be thrown on the streets!"

"How can you do that!" Lucy called.

"I do it because I am concerned about you Lucy!" he bellowed. "I am worried that the ravel and filth that you associate with are beneath you. There is no better suitor for you in this city than Sean Konstantine! You are part of the elite of society and you will start acting like it! You will date Sean as instructed or so help me God I will disown you! I will not have my daughter become part of the street rats! You were fine as a little girl Lucy, but you are now becoming a woman and all you're doing is ruing both your reputation and this family's."

Lucy broke down in tears now she couldn't believe her father could say such horrendous things about her or her friends. She had no idea where any of this was coming from and she just hated him for hit.

"You will do as you are instructed is that clear?" her father roared from behind the desk. For a while there was nothing but silence except for Lucy's crying. "I said, 'Is that clear?'"

"Yes," the young girl finally whispered in defeat.

"Good," the old man said.

Lucy immediately ran out of the study and to her room, crying as she did so. She couldn't believe what her father had done, what he had said. Her heart was breaking and all she wanted to do was run away. She needed someone to comfort her and tell her it was all going to be okay. As she ran crying she whispered, "Natsu where are you?"

**A/N: So what's up guys sorry I haven't been able to reply back to you comments and reviews, just know that I've read them and want to reply back, but haven't really had the chance. Been trying to focus on writing each chapter. So this **_**maybe**_** the last chapter until Friday since I'm going to Las Vegas for some personal reasons. I hope to continue writing while I'm there but no promises. Just wanted to point that out to you guys and I will update ASAP and reply back to any comments or concerns I wasn't able to answer before.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Well I'm back. Sorry it took so long, got preoccupied with a lot of things. Finally got home yesterday and made sure I busted out a chapter as soon as I could. Hope you guys enjoy**

For the past week Natsu went to the practice room everyday during lunch to beat on one of the punching bags. He felt like he needed to blow off some steam and even though he would much rather go out and find some jerkoff local kids to fight he knew that he was prohibited to. He still felt horrible about what happened that night of the Halloween Dance. He punched the bag violently before swinging in for a roundhouse kick smacking it with his foot. He let out a loud grump in pain grasping his foot.

Just then he heard the sound of the door opening as Gildarts stepped inside. Natsu turned to him nodding before he attempted another kick on the bag. Again he let out a loud groan as he brought his foot down looking at a large pink welt throbbing on the base of his foot.

"You should stop kicking with your foot," Gildarts said as he dropped his workout bag near the door.

"Huh?" Natsu wheezed as he rubbed his foot.

"I said you should stop kicking with your foot," Gildarts said again as he walked towards him. He sighed but carried a light smirk as he watched the pink haired boy. "When performing a kick as what you're doing you should use your shin and not your foot. The foot is delicate and breakable, but your shinbone is strong and durable. It's the second strongest bone in your body and it can withstand many hits," Gildarts walked up and was now standing next to Natsu. The pink haired boy watched his mentor closely as he placed his hand against the bag. "Did you know that in Thailand and many other places around the world kick boxers and muay thai fighters practice kicking banana trees to make their bones stronger," Gildarts turned at Natsu and smiled. Natsu gazed at him in amazement.

Gildarts smiled at the boy motioning his hand for Natsu to take a step back. Once Natsu did Gildarts got in a staggered stance and in one swift motion kicked the bag with such force it flew up sideways before swinging back down violently. The loud thud echoed throughout the room as Natsu's eyes shot up as he watched his mentor. The old man let out a deep breath as he set his foot back down on the ground and smiled.

"You see," Gildarts said smirking at the boy. Natsu nodded his head as he stepped up to give it a try.

Natsu took in a deep breath as he prepared himself and then with a ferocious swing he hit the bag knocking it a little bit to the side, and though he felt a swarming warm pain radiate through his shin but he believed that he did a much better job with this kick than he did with the last one. He turned to look at Gildarts to see what the reaction was, and to his disappointment Gildarts seemed to be shaking his head in disapproval.

"You're forcing it Natsu," he said. "You're hitting it with far too much force." The old man got in his stance again. "You have to be relaxed, you have to breath and let the motions of you hips carry the swing of the kick." With that he swung his leg in for another kick, this one with as much force as the first knocking the bag on it's side as it swung up into the air. Natsu watched nodding his head.

Natsu got back into position and attempted to try another kick. He exhaled outwards as he swung his foot up striking the bag with some force, but still not enough to even come close to what Gildarts had done. He sighed in frustration as he watched the bag come back down. He wanted to strike it again, but before he could he felt Gildarts hand rest on his shoulder.

"You're using too much force Natsu," Gildarts said. "Don't try and strike it with rage and emotion. Don't think, just let your body do the work."

Natsu stood there again as he took in a deep breath and once again let his leg come up striking the bag, only this time it was slightly better, but still not good enough. He turned back to Gildarts who only shrugged.

"You're going to have to keep practicing it," he said unenthusiastically. "You need to clear your mind, right now your focus seems elsewhere."

"Yes sir," Natsu sighed as he went back to some basic punches. He was frustrated and he decided to take out most of his anger out on the punching bag. Gildarts watched him with some concern. He never really knew Natsu to get so upset about trying to learn some new moves, but then again he had seen how Natsu was behaving all week. It wasn't really like the boy, it wasn't so much anger as it was pain.

"Natsu is something wrong?" Gildarts asked, concern in his voice. Natsu stopped punching and turned to look over at the older man.

"No," he sighed as he went back to punching. Gildarts let out a deep breath before placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Natsu stopped as he turned back to the old man.

"I know something is wrong," he said calmly to him, "you've been out of focus all week. Not only you but, I've seen Leo behaving strangely as well. If there is something bothering you then you can tell me, that's what I'm here for."

Natsu hesitated, he really didn't want to talk about it and he knew that something was bugging him. Ever since the dance when he let Lucy walk away with Sean he had felt some kind of guilt. He didn't know what to call it. He knew that Lucy was Sean's girlfriend but he couldn't get over how he just let her go with him. It was driving him crazy, and no matter what he did he couldn't get it out of his mind.

Gajeel watched the boy carefully as he waited for an answer. He could see that Natsu was upset about something, and he could see that the boy was struggling with his own feelings. He wanted the boy to tell him what was wrong, though it seemed like Natsu either didn't want to tell him or he really couldn't tell him. Perhaps the confusion didn't lie in his choice of what he wanted to say or not, but rather that he himself didn't know what was bothering him. Though he had seen that look all too much that he already knew.

"Girl problems?" Gildarts asked smirking at him.

Natsu gazed over at the old man and then chuckled shaking his head. "Yeah I guess you can say that." Gajeel let out a soft chuckle shaking his head too. He wondered where to start on such a sensitive subject.

"Women eh?" Gildarts let out through his soft laugh. "Women they are such gentle and magnificent creatures. I don't know how something that beautiful can still be so destructive. I mean just look at Erza and my own daughter Cana for example." Natsu's eyes blinked as he had the sudden feeling of de ja vu. He knew he heard something similar to this before, and then all of a sudden an image of Leo flashed in his mind. That's how Leo normally talked whenever they conversed about girls. Perhaps the red haired boy learned more than just martial arts lessons from the old timer.

"You shouldn't worry too much about it Natsu," Gildarts told him reassuringly. The glint in his eye gave Natsu some more comfort. He could see the smile in the old man's expression and he knew just by staring at him that Gildarts knew exactly what he was talking about. "Women always find ways to get what they want no matter what," Gildarts chuckled shaking his head when he said it. "No matter what happens you're going to lose," Natsu didn't want to believe those words but something told him Gildarts was right. "But if you like a girl and she likes you back, no matter how frustrating it is she'll let you know how she feels, but for whatever reason she won't tell you she likes you. At least most women won't. If a girl likes you then she'll give you subtle hints, but it's going to be up to you to get the girl."

Natsu thought it over. He knew he liked Lucy and he wanted to tell her exactly how he felt about her but he couldn't. He knew that as long as she was with Sean they couldn't be together. But was it true that she liked him back? She seemed to have gotten really comfortable around him, and that night she seemed to really enjoy being with him. It was as though they were a couple even if they weren't together. The thought of it made him smile to himself.

"Natsu don't worry these things take time," Gildarts said reassuringly smiling at the young boy. Natsu's gaze fell back on his mentor. "The best things in this world are those worth waiting for. If you are interested in a girl then you should just wait and see what happens. You have plenty of time to spare so don't worry."

With that Gildarts took his leave as he made his way to the practice room door. Natsu watched as his mentor picked up his bag and leave. Before he did Gildarts made one last call back to the pink haired boy, "And don't forget to work on that kick! Remember don't think to much, focus on doing it right. You don't have to strike it with anger just let your hips do the work. If you do it right that kick is known for delivering about a thousand pounds of pressure upon impact." Natsu's eyes shot up as he heard the last sentence. Gildarts let off a wide grin before leaving the practice room.

Natsu laughted as he turned to face the punching bag. Then it struck him, Gildarts had walked in with a workout bag, but he didn't do any exercises. His mentor had only been there for a few minutes. Did Gildarts deliberately walk so he could talk to him about his problems? It would make some sense since GIldarts knew that he was troubled, but then again he had pretty much known what was exactly bothering him. He thought about it but then remembered what the old man had told him about focusing on the kick. He shook it off as he got back in his stance. With a deep breath he spun around letting his hips carry his leg and to his surprise he hit the bag with enough force that it caused it to sway violently through the air, though it wasn't as good as Gildarts he noticed that he was getting there. He also began to notice that he wasn't feeling as much pain down in his ankle anymore. Perhaps the old man knew what he was talking about after all.

"How'd it go?" Leo asked as Gildarts walked out of the door. Leo was standing there just outside the door where he was listening to the entire conversation.

"I think it went well," Gildarts said. "I know you said he was having girl problems, but what happened?"

"The poor boy's love sick," Leo said smirking to himself. "I wanted to talk to him, but I know he probably wouldn't listen to me, he hardly ever does. But he respects you and he'll listen to you."

"I hope so," Gildarts said. "Both you and Natsu have been struggling this past week. I'm starting to worry. I know that he's been trying to behave himself, and he hasn't been in any fights since joining the club," Gildarts looked up and gazed at Leo, his eyes worried but somewhat still showing some trust. "I just hope that you boys stay safe and I hope that you can take care of him."

"I will," Leo nodded.

"But I'm also worried about you Leo," Gildarts said as he walked up and rested his hand on his shoulder. "You seem to be torn these past couple of months. I know that you've been trying to hide it, but I know you all too well. What is it that's been troubling you?"

"It's Damian," Leo sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. Gildarts expression became serious. "You know that it was Damian that put Natsu in the hospital—"

"I do," Gildarts grumbled. He hated to think about it. He hated knowing that one of his former pupils had fallen to such a despicable level. He doesn't know what happened to Damian, before the boy used to be somewhat troublesome, but it wasn't until he entered high school that he took a turn for the worse. He felt somewhat responsible for what happened, that it was his failure to keep Damian in line that escalated the situations to such a degree.

"It was him and Zancrow that set off the stink bombs in the cafeteria during the dance. Gildarts frowned as Leo told him these things. "And even though I know that it was them I still couldn't prove it." Leo grew more frustrated with himself Gildarts could see the pain in the boy's eyes. "I felt like I had let them get away again, I feel as though no matter what I do I just can't ever get these guys, I can't ever make them pay for what they've done. I feel like they keep beating me and every second knowing that those ass holes got the better of me just infuriates me to no end." Now Leo was seething he wanted to punch something, he wanted to just let out a scream and cry out to the world. His heart was so full of rage as he remembered what happened that night two years ago. He never told anyone but it had always haunted him since it happened, and knowing that he could never do anything to reconcile what happened hurt him too much.

"Leo I know that you're feeling terrible, I understand that you feel betrayed by Damian, but for your sake you have to learn to let it go," Gildarts said calmly. He attempted to comfort the other boy but he knew that his efforts were in vain. It wasn't that Leo didn't want to listen to Gildarts it was that he was so infuriated by his own lack to do anything. "You have to move on and forget the past. I know that I certainly don't want to acknowledge the things that Damian has done. My own pupil," Gildarts sighed in sorrow. "Don't be bothered by it Leo you're a good kid."

"Thanks," Leo exhaled though it didn't sound like he was too sincere with it.

"Why don't you go inside and blow off some steam like Natsu?" Gildarts said motioning to the door.

"Yeah maybe I'll do that," Leo answered in a soft whisper.

* * *

><p>For the past week it wasn't just Natsu and Leo who were having problems. Gajeel was also suffering from constant thoughts about what happened that night, but it had nothing to do with Zancrow or the others. In fact what bugged him the most was Levy. He thought that the girl was supposed to like him and yet no matter what he did she always seemed to scoff at him.<p>

Just the other day he passed by her in the hallway on the way to class and she stuck her nose up at him. He had seen her and she had seen him. As soon as the two of them made eye contact Levy immediately raised her nose into the air and passed by him as she ignored him. He had no idea why she made such a rude gesture but he could see the stupid smirks on Jet and Droy's face. They knew that she was mad at him and they were thoroughly enjoying it.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong and why she treated him so adversely but he could never get the chance. When he approached her he was cut off by Jet and Droy neither of which muttered a word to him, they just glared at him in distaste while Levy acted the same exact way. Even if he did manage to find her alone she would just walk away from him and there was no point in following her since she would disappear into her classroom or into the girl's bathroom. It infuriated him.

This time during lunch Gajeel figured that he would get some answers, although he had no idea why the whole thing bothered him so much, but he didn't care. He needed to know what the girl's problem was.

As he walked outside he managed to spot her, alone walking back to the girl's dormitory. He didn't waste a second as he ran up to her, "Hey Levy," he said as he finally caught up.

Levy said nothing she only scowled at him as she continued to walk towards the dorm. "Hey Levy wait up," Gajeel said as he ran back up to her.

"I have no interest in talking to the likes of you," Levy hissed at him. The sound of her voice threw him off. He was in disbelief by the whole thing.

"Why not?" Gajeel asked her. Though if it were anyone else he would have growled but now he sounded sincere.

"Like I said I have no interest in talking to the likes of you," Levy snapped again as she continued to walk. Gajeel rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"Can you at least tell me what I did?" Gajeel pleaded. He sounded annoyed which was probably not the best thing for him to do since now Levy glared at him. Gajeel could see the anger in her eyes as he realized his mistake. "Alright whatever I did I apologize for okay," Gajeel told her. Levy didn't look at him she just kept walking. "Ah come on Levy," Gajeel pleaded, but she still continued to walk up to the door, once there she turned to face the black haired boy.

"Why don't you go off and find some hooligans to fight," Levy snarled at him.

"Is that what this is about?" Gajeel asked quizzically. "That I get into fights?"

"You are such an idiot," Levy yelled rolling her eyes. Gajeel didn't even have enough time to say anything else before the girl slammed the door and vanished inside the building.

"Fucking women!" Gajeel cried as he furrowed his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Excuse me?" he heard voice say from behind him. When he turned around he saw Erza standing behind him her hands on her hips, her eyebrow cocked as she leered at the boy.

"Ah crap," Gajeel exclaimed as the red haired girl grabbed him by the ear. "Ow, ow, ow," Gajeel chimed as she torqued on his ear.

"You need to learn to watch your mouth Gajeel," Erza scorned. Gajeel struggled under her grip.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry," Gajeel attempted to apologize. Erza twisted his ear a little more before she let him go. Gajeel took the opportunity to take a few steps back before the red head decided to do anything else. "Why do you get to be so violent?" Gajeel asked her as he rubbed the side of his head.

"Because I'm a prefect," Erza said grinning at him as she crossed her arms over her chest, "and because I can."

"You shouldn't make Erza upset Gajeel you should know better," a soft feminine voice said. Gajeel and Erza both turned around to see Lucy standing right behind Erza as she smiled softly at the two of them.

"Yep Lucy knows exactly what I'm talking about don't you?" Erza said nodding her head.

"Yeah I kind of do," Lucy said nervously.

"You're lucky I don't punish you either," Erza said seriously as she leered down at the blonde. Lucy recoiled under the glare a little frightened.

"What did I do?" she asked innocently. Her voice was nervous and scared.

"Why didn't you wear the Halloween costume I gave you?" Erza said sternly as she squinted her eyes.

"It . . . it," Lucy began thinking for some kind of excuse she could use. "It didn't fit me," she finally said lying. She just hoped that Erza would believe her.

"Oh really?" Erza asked astonished, she began to think about it. "I could have sworn that it would have fit you." Lucy stared at the red in disbelief, somehow she bought the lie not to say that it surprised her, but she was more thankful than anything.

'How did you even think something so revealing could even be considered appropriate for Halloween?' Lucy thought to herself. Then again she was talking about Erza, a girl who had literally no idea about what appropriate attire would be during certain times. Heck she wouldn't even doubt if she changed in the practice room in front of everyone when she did martial arts.

"Well if that's the case than I'll and do better next time," Erza assured her. Lucy was exactly thrilled to hear the red head say such a thing and she hoped that there wouldn't even be a next time. "Now I got to go back to my room and grab some things you take care Lucy," Erza said smiling at the blonde who returned it with one of her own, though Lucy's was a bit more awkward. "And you behave yourself," Erza said threateningly at Gajeel. With that the red head took her leave as she too vanished into the girl's dormitory.

"Man Erza is one psychotic chick," Gajeel said as he rubbed the back of his head. Lucy turned coyly to the black haired boy. She had never actually met Gajeel and now she noticed that she was here standing next to him wondering what she should say.

Gajeel then turned to look at her, the sight of which caused Lucy to jump back. Not out of freight or shock just that she felt herself jump under the eyes of the boy's gaze. "You okay?" Gajeel asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah I'm fine," Lucy laughed nervously. Gajeel just became even more confused, but he turned to leave anyways. There was no point in him staying there any longer. He was already embarrassed by Levy scorning him only to have Erza come out and humiliate him even further. He didn't get any of the answers he wanted, he felt as though it was all just a huge waste of time.

"Wa-wait," Lucy stuttered as she reached out to stop the black haired boy.

"Yeah?" Gajeel asked as he gazed back at her.

"I was kind of hoping to talk to you," Lucy said as she dropped her hands. Gajeel just became even more confused as the thought about it. He wasn't even in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment. He wanted to vent off some steam, but he figured that he might as well hear the girl out even though he didn't want to.

"Okay," Gajeel said waving a hand in the air in defeat.

"Oh," Lucy said blinking, she actually expected him to reject her request but now she was happy that he was actually willing to listen. "Thank you," she said smiling at him. Gajeel returned it with a scowl making Lucy feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea for her to talk to Gjaeel now when he was in such a fowl mood.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Gajeel asked her as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"You're Natsu's roommate right?"


	28. Chapter 28

"You're Natsu's roommate right?" Lucy asked Gajeel nervously. Her face became a little flustered as she saw the other boy raise an eyebrow at her. She didn't know why she felts so embarrassed to be talking about Natsu, but she found her heart beating just a little too quickly.

"Yeah I am," Gajeel answered her looking skeptical. He wondered why she was asking him about Natsu. He knew the two of them were supposedly friends, so why did she even have any questions. "Don't you know that already?" Gajeel asked her as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah I figured that," Lucy said as her face flushed ever so lightly from embarrassment. "It's just that I've never really had the chance to talk to you and to get to know you. Most of what I know is from what I heard from Levy."

"And what has she told you," Gajeel said leering at the blonde haired girl. She recoiled under his gaze. She became slightly nervous as she began to second-guess her reasoning for talking to the other boy.

"Nothing much," Lucy told him reassuringly, but from the glare in Gajeel's eyes she could see that he wasn't convinced. "She only just talked about how you were kind of rude to her, that's all." She then realized what she had said as she saw Gajeel's eyebrows rise up. He didn't appear too angry but he wasn't exactly thrilled by the news either.

"I don't know what I did," Gajeel sighed shaking his head in defeat. Lucy was a little taken back to see the change in expression from the black haired boy. She was surprised to see that Gajeel was actually concerned about Levy's feelings. From what she knew Gajeel was a hard ass that constantly went around picking fights and having a stern attitude towards everyone, but seeing him act in such a way made her smile. She already had subtle hints that Levy liked Gajeel perhaps he had some remote feelings for her as well.

"Well have you tried talking to her?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel raised his head as though he had heard a bad joke. His eyes squinted at her wondering if she was serious about what she had just said. "No," he said sarcastically, "that never occurred to me."

"Sarcasm is unbefitting you," Lucy said scowling. Gajeel just smirked at her chuckling to himself.

"So what did you want to ask me about Natsu?" Gajeel asked her. Lucy's face flushed again as the conversation soon switched back to her original question and the whole reason why she asked Gajeel to stay and talk to her in the first place.

"Well you see," Lucy said flustered, her face turned a light shade of pink as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck, "Natsu and I were . . . are really close friends. And since I've seen him at the beginning of the semester when he came back to Magnolia I really haven't had the chance to . . ." she pondered over the next words she would utter.

"Chance to what?" Gajeel asked skeptically.

"Well I haven't been able to spend as much time as would like," Lucy said as she blushed a little. She let off a slight smile one which Gajeel was able to see almost immediately.

"Oh how cute you miss him," Gajeel said tauntingly as he smirked at her. Lucy's face flushed a deep crimson red. "How sweet."

"I-it's not like that," Lucy stuttered. "It's just that we were such good friends that it feels weird that he hasn't become more part of the group like he used to. I mean he did that one time but since then he has disappeared, like he doesn't even care about us anymore." Gajeel watched as the young girl seemed to hurt as she uttered the last sentence. He could see that she really was troubled.

"You know what the problem is?" Gajeel said calmly not wanting his voice to sound insincere. Lucy gazed up at him eager to hear his answer. "It's your boyfriend Sean," Gajeel told her. Lucy's expression turned sour but she was even more confused by the accusation.

"What does Sean have to do with this?" she asked him.

"Well your boyfriend is kind of a dick to be honest," Gajeel told her. He didn't hold back his resentment he hated Sean as well. Even though he had never had any personal confrontations with the boy he saw the way Sean behaved towards Natsu and Leo, and in some cases Grey, but then again Grey was completely oblivious to most things that were going on around him anyways.

"Really?" Lucy said shaking her head. "I've never seen Sean behave as nothing more than a gentleman most of the time."

Though Lucy had originally been against dating Sean in the beginning she had seen nothing that would compel her believe that he wasn't a gentleman. He had always been so kind to her and her friends. She hadn't even seen him become angry or bitter once. She never even once heard someone complain about Sean to her, especially not from her friends.

"Yeah," Gajeel said nodding his head. "Sean can be a douche sometimes," Gajeel said to her. Lucy shook her head she just couldn't believe it. Or better yet it was because she didn't want to believe it, but how could she when she had never seen Sean act like a douche before. "I'm sorry Lucy but that's just how it is. Natsu can't stand Sean."

"Oh," Lucy sighed. She was lost at this point and now she was more confused than ever.

"Hey I'm sorry," Gajeel said apologetically before he turned to walk away. "I'm just trying to be honest with you," he said.

"No it's okay," Lucy said softly. "I appreciate you letting me know."

"Sure no problem," Gajeel said before leaving. Lucy watched the blacked haired boy as he walked back towards the boy's dorm her mind a flutter with even more questions and confusion now then it was before she had talked to him. Even though she really didn't know Gajeel all that well personally she felt as though she could trust his words even though she didn't want to.

* * *

><p>Later that day Erza made her way to the grocery store to purchase some goodies for her and Cana. Though it was frowned upon and though she would criticize other students for doing it, she would sometimes leave the campus to buy things that she liked, or to just take a stroll around the pier. Though there was fear of the local students doing something nasty they seldom ever put their hands on the girls of the Academy. She knew that even they had standards. Then again she probably didn't have to worry about anyone attacking her anyways.<p>

As she walked down the street to the store she noticed a small white cat wondering down the street. For some reason the cat caught her eye as she wondered if it belonged to anyone or it was a stray. The coat was well groomed so she figured that it must be someone's pet. She began to think whether or not she should return it to it's owner, or at least look after it to keep it safe. The autumn weather in Magnolia could get pretty cold, and even worse if the poor thing had nothing to eat.

She ultimately decided that she would catch the cat and try to see if it had a collar on. As she motioned toward it the cat noticed her approaching an lurched its back in a threatening manner. Erza slowed her pace as she began to ease her way toward the feline. But as she got closer and closer the cat made a sudden dash up the street.

"Crap," Erza grumbled under her breath as she began to chase after it. She ran as fast as she could and eventually found herself catching up to it. Suddenly the cat made an abrupt turn down an ally way. Without thinking Erza continued to follow it. Eventually the cat came to a dead end. It turned and watched Erza closely ready for whatever her next move was.

When Erza finally had it cornered she placed her hands on her knees as she began to pant vigorously. She couldn't be that out of shape, but she could feel the sweat dripping from her forehead and underneath her armpits. She wondered if it was the sweatshirt and pants she was wearing.

After she caught her breath she made a motion to the cat. In panic it frantically looked around before backing up. Before Erza could even take a step forward she suddenly heard a voice calling out, "Charle! Charle! Where are you?" Erza turned around to see a young girl calling out. "Charle! Cha—"

The girl suddenly stopped as soon as she saw Erza. "Charle there you are," she said as she ran towards the cat. Erza stepped aside to let the girl pass by. She raised an eyebrow knowing that perhaps the girl was actually the cat's owner. Reluctantly the cat permitted the girl to pick her up. "Charle why do you always run away?" The girl sighed. "You're always making me chase after you."

Erza stared at the young gir, she couldn't haven't been any older than twelve years old. Her hair was long and a deep shade of purple. She kept her hair down, even with two pigtails tied with a red ribbon. Her eyes were dark and wide while her skin was a pale milky white. Her voice was supple and quiet. She dressed wearing jeans and a lavender sweatshirt.

The small girl turned around to see Erza standing there watching her. "Oh thank mam for finding her for me," the girl said sweetly. Though she sounded edgy. Erza began to wonder if she was intimidating the poor girl or if that was just the way she was.

"It's no problem," Erza said as she attempted to smile at the young girl though it seemed to make the girl more flustered. "I actually didn't really do anything except chase it down this way."

"But I do appreciate you finding her anyways," the girl said softly. She kept her eyes on the cat as she held it close to her chest, letting its feet dangle loosely. "I've been looking for her all day."

"Well I'm glad I could help," Erza chuckled as she began to walk towards the young girl. "By the way what's you name?" she asked her.

"Oh my name?" the girl said timidly. "My name is Wendy and this is my cat Charle." The girl lifted the cat up as a way of introducing her. Erza reached out her hand in an attempt to pet her but she recoiled back to avoid being touched.

"I can see she doesn't like me all that much," Erza said as she brought her hand back.

"Oh no she's actually really friendly," the girl interjected. "She just has to get comfortable around you before she allows you to pet her. Then again I'm the only person she allows to pet anyways."

"It's okay," Erza said smiling at her. She attempted to get as friendly as she could but for whatever reason the young girl seemed to stay anxious. At least she was talking to her, so perhaps that was something to go on. "She's a beautiful cat anyways."

"Thank you," Wendy said as a small blush crossed her cheeks. She continued to hold the cat tightly to her chest. It made her feel more comfortable knowing that she had Charle so close to her.

"I'm Erza by the way," the red head said introducing herself.

"Nice to meet you," Wendy said as a light smile crossed her lips. That's what Erza liked to see. She grinned to herself as she saw the girl not acting so jittery around her anymore.

Soon the two of them made their way out of the ally, Wendy still clasping onto Charle as she had before. Erza walked right next to her. When they left the ally the young girl turned to Erza and smiled before saying good bye and running off in one direction. Erza watched her leave grinning to herself. She liked the girl and she didn't know why exactly she had grown found of her. Perhaps it was her innocence or her caring for an animal. Perhaps she reminded her of herself when she was younger, at times when she felt alone despite being surrounded by the people she grew up with. Maybe it was that she envied the girl for having something that was so precious to her that she would spend the entire day searching for it. Erza didn't have that, but it made her happy seeing such a sweet young girl to have one.

She smiled to herself as she walked back down the roadway towards her original destination. The store wasn't noting too fancy, it was small and quaint, built more as a tourist attraction for a quick sale of ice cream and tasty treats for visitors and beach goers. But Erza had always liked that place, even when she was a little girl herself. The owner was always nice to her and she had grown to know the old man well. She figured that she went there not because it was for the food or the treats, but to spend some time with the owner.

As she came upon the door she saw it opened as a young man stepped out of it. Erza's eyes went up in shock as she noticed exactly who it was. The familiar dark shaggy hair that tussled over his mane. His dark eyes that were both fierce and yet comforting. His skin a healthy shade of tan.

He wore a navy blue pea coat around his frame and jeans. A white scarf hung around his neck. As he exited the building he let out a deep breath before reaching in his pocket to pull out a cigarette. Still standing in front of the door he lit and took a deep breath inwards sucking it in.

Erza knew who this boy was, she had known him for a long time. "Jallel?" Erza asked in disbelief. The boy turned to see who it was that was calling his name. When he saw Erza his eyes shot up in disbelief.

"Erza?" he said in astonishment. The red head girl took no hesitation as she ran up to give the other boy a deep hug.

Erza had never told anyone before, but she had a deep history with this boy. None of her friends knew it, but they did know that Jellel had always been a close friend of hers. Though growing up she and Jellel had a closer relationship than just friends in her mind. She never told anyone but she began to believe that she actually really liked him and she believed that he had really liked her as well.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she squeezed the boy tighter.

"Well I was just getting some stuff, but I didn't expect to see you here," the boy answered as he pulled away. His face lit up as he grinned at her. Erza was no different her entire face was beamed with her smile.

"How have you been?" she asked still in amazement. "I thought you were going to school up north?"

"I am," he answered her. "I just came back down here for a quick visit."

"Oh really?" Erza asked. "To who?"

"To me," a voice chime as a young girl walked out from the same building. Erza immediately became puzzled.

"Who's this?" Erza asked skeptically as she stared at the new girl. She had long brunette hair that she kept slicked back with two black hairpins and cold dark eyes. She was around the same height as Erza and about the same age as well. Her skin was an off colored egg white with scarlet red lips. She wore a black pea coat over thin black leg warmers. Erza had to admit that this girl was pretty beautiful.

"This is Ultear," Jellel said introducing the other girl. "She's a pretty good friend of mine."

"Yeah we're very close," Ulteat said as she hugged Jellel the sight of which caused Erza to start fuming. She didn't know this girl and already she didn't like her. There was something about the girl, and maybe it was just that she was getting a little too close to Jellel.

'Wait a minute,' she thought to herself. 'How come he never comes to visit me?' As she thought it over she began to get a little irritated that Jellel was here visiting this hussy and not her. A scowl crossed her face as she glared at the two of them folding her arms across her chest.

"So how have you been Erza?" Jellel asked her as he took another drag of his cigarette. Erza stared at the foul object. She didn't like seeing Jellel smoking she didn't even like seeing any of her friends smoke. She wouldn't allow it. None of her friends smoked as long as she had something to say about it.

"Well anyways we have to get going," Ultear interjected before the conversation could carry on. "We have places to be." Ultear began to walk away pulling Jellel along with her. Erza's scowl became more apparent as she watched the two of them.

"What so soon?" Jellel asked as he was pulled away. "Why are we in such a rush?"

"Because I have to pick up Meredy from school right now," Ultear told him as she continued to walk away.

"Oh okay," Jellel sighed in defeat. He turned back to the red head, the smile on his face still there. "Erza it was great seeing you again. I hope to see you around some more!" Jellal called out the last words before the two of them disappeared down the road. Erza still stood there watching them, she frowned deeply, her face wrinkled in agitation.

**A/N: Just throwing in some things that readers suggested I do. I don't know if you guys agree with some kind of pursuit into Erza's own personal life or if I should just keep it to the main characters. Like I said I take all suggestions.**


	29. Chapter 29

As the month rolled on the weather changed for the colder. Students were now bundling up in scarves and coats in an attempt to keep as warm as they could. Frost began to cover the leaves of the trees around the school, but it had yet to snow. Gray clouds began to cover the sky as the sunlight faded more and more with each passing day. The waves on the beach became much more subtle and less rough as the water caressed the sand ever so gently. The grains of sand became just as cold as ice itself and just as rough.

Natsu was not one for the cold. He preferred the heat of the summer to the icy cold of the winter. On the other hand he noticed that Grey was the exact opposite. Grey enjoyed the bitterness of the winter more than anyone Natsu had ever met. He didn't know what compelled the boy to enjoy it so much, but then again he always thought Grey a little strange.

The end of the month was upon them and Natsu had just received a phone call from Igneel telling him that he would be in town to celebrate thanksgiving with him and some friends. Natsu was curious as to whom these other friends were, but he didn't think too much about it. He was going to see his father again for the first time since he was in the hospital and he was rather excited about it.

There was no school during the week leading up to the Thanksgiving Day. It was a nice break, and to Natsu's pleasure practice was continuing during those days off for anyone who hadn't already returned home. He was surprised that the room was pretty much empty at this point except for him, Gajeel, Leo Erza and Cana. Gildarts made them go over some of their basic techniques in order to hone their skills.

Gildarts had Natsu working on his kicks again watching the boy ever so closely. Natsu was on the right track to getting the kick just right, but he still wasn't there yet. Gildarts told him to continue to practice it some more. "Practice makes perfect Natsu. These things take time and you have to understand that it's not going to come to you so quickly."

"Yes sir," Natsu grunted as he swung his foot in again for another kick. His foot collided with the heavy padding knocking it to its side, but still not there just yet. His shin began to hurt, but he pressed on. He remembered what Gildarts had told him about the boys who would train kicking banana trees. He knew that if he wanted to make it stronger he too would have to work through the pain. He went in for another kick, the pain coursed through his leg as he clinched his teeth, but still he pressed on. He wouldn't allow it to stop him.

After practice Natsu and Gajeel made their way to the dorms with Leo. The school was pretty much deserted at this point. Hardly any of the students were still on campus except for a few. Natsu never realized how empty the campus could look, he didn't even know that the campus looked as large is it did that day.

Natsu and Gajeel both wore the standard school coat like most other students did during the winter. It was a dark navy blue made out of thick and heavy wool. Three large brass buttons lined the outside while the school's insignia embroidered over the left breast. Natsu kept his hand tucked away in the coat's pockets to help keep them warm. His scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. Gajeel wore a scarf as well except his was a black.

As Natsu and Gajeel approached the dorm room Natsu caught sight of two men standing near the entrance at the main gate both wearing thick heavy coats as well. One wore a reddish coat with gold trimmings the other wore a silver coat with black trimmings. The two men were old their faces half covered by the scarves they wore around their necks. And yet their warm breath could be seen floating in the air.

One man had a long mane of red spikey hair that nearly blanketed his face. The other had short clean-cut silver hair that he parted to one side. Both their faces were wrinkled with age. Their eyes were grey and damp. Both Natsu and Gajeel turned to gaze at each other as they both realized who the two men were.

The slowly walked up to them the old men standing just outside two parked cars waiting for them. "Hey Igneel," Natsu said as the two boys finally walked up to them.

"Hey Metalicana," Gajeel greeted with a grunt. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that anyway to treat your father Gajeel?" the silver haired man said sternly. His fierce eyes peered down at the two boys. Natsu let his same wide grin cross his face again as tried not to laugh at Gajeel.

"So are Gajeel and Mr. Metalicana the people we will be having Thanksgiving with?" Natsu asked.

"Not necessarily," Igneel said calmly slightly shaking his head. "Though Mr. Metalicana and Gajeel are also guests to the dinner that we will be attending."

"Oh and who's place will we be attending?" Natsu asked. Both he and Gajeel exchanged looks of confusion.

"That would be my place," the crack of an old woman's voice could be heard. Both Natsu and Gajeel turned around to see Grandine standing behind them, her long white winter's coat wrapped around her boney frame. Her aging pink hair bundled up on her head staying in place with a few sliver pins. Her old face carried a scowl as it always did. One that Natsu and Gajeel hated to see since she always seemed to be directing it at the students in particular. There haven't been too many good circumstances shared between Natsu and the old woman, and he figured that there probably weren't ever going to be.

As the two boys and the old woman exchanged glares Natsu noticed a small girl cowering behind the elderly woman. She had long dark blue hair that was nestled under a pink wool cap. She wore a bright lavender winter coat and long navy sweat pants. She was coy, trying to keep herself hidden as much as possible behind the old woman. In her arms rested a small white kitten with a pink ribbon tied around its neck.

"Why hello there," Natsu greeted the child. "Who are you?" She gazed up at him before returning to hide behind Grandine. The girl let off a soft grunt that made Natsu wonder if she was scared or if she was just shy. Then again it could be Gajeel, that guy didn't look normal with his piercings and what not.

"Oh come now child," Grandine said stepping aside revealing the small girl to them. "Stop dawdling it's impolite."

The small girl stood there silent, her eyes on the ground. Gajeel folded his arms across his chest as he peered down at her. Her face flushed slightly as she could feel all the eyes staring down at her. She couldn't even mutter a word she just hugged the kitten closer to herself.

"Wow Grandine when did you get a kid?" Igneel said jokingly. "I can't believe you of all people are even allowed to watch over a child." Metalicana

"Ain't that the truth," Natsu muttered to Gajeel. The other boy chuckled at the remark, to which both of them received a slap aside the head

"Ah what was that for?" Natsu cried as he and Gajeel both rubbed the sides of their heads. "Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?" Natsu asked Igneel.

"Of course," the old man said. "What do you think we want to get slapped too?" The two old men laughed. Grandine glared at the two boys, but then turned her attention to the small girl.

"Now young missy I want you to introduce yourself like a proper lady," Grandine ordered.

"I-I'm Wendy," the girl said coyly shrinking behind the kitten she held in her arms. "I-it's nice to meet you all." The girl still didn't look up at any of them her face still flushed a light pink.

"It's nice to meet you Wendy," Igneel said smiling at the girl. She didn't say anything just hug the cat tighter. "My aren't you a pretty young lady."

"T-thank you," the girl whispered behind the cat.

"Honestly girl you must buck up and act more mature," Grandine said as she folded her arms across her chest. Wendy didn't say anything she just became that much more shy. Grandine rolled her eyes. "You are hopeless."

"She's not hopeless," Metalicana interjected, "if she has to live with you then this girl already has enough moxy." The two old men chuckled as Grandine gave them a menacing glare.

"Well if you two are quite finished I believe that we should be on our way," Grandine said as she made her way over to a parked car. It was an old volks wagon, Natsu figured it was probably as old as she was, but he wasn't going to say anything out of fear of being hit once again. The young Wendy followed the elderly woman to the car carrying the white kitten along with her.

Igneel nudged Natsu with his elbow motioning the boy to follow him. Natsu did as he watched Gajeel and Metalicana make their way over to an old gray Ford.

"So where are we going?" Natsu asked Igneel as they got into the truck.

"We're heading over to Grandine's house for dinner," Igneel told him as he started the car.

"Shit," Natsu mumbled under his breath as he rubbed his forehead. Did Igneel actually expect them to spend the rest of the day with Grandine? He just knew that that this was going to be a miserable evening for him.

"So how do you know Grandine and Gajeel's father?" Natsu asked as the truck began to move down the street.

"We all went to the same university together back when we were younger. There were many more friends that we had, but they're all off doing their own thing now. Many of us still occasionally get together. We were young and naïve. We had our own special group that we called, 'The Dragons.'' Igneel chuckled at the memory. He grinned over at Natsu before turning his eyes back to the road. "Yeah but that was way back in the day. No reason to focus on old memories."

"Sounds like fun," Natsu joked. "So how come I've never met Grandien or Gajeel's father before?"

"Well Grandine actually moved out to Magnolia after we moved away. Metalicana called me about how he was having trouble with Gajeel. I don't know if you know this but Gajeel's been into trouble his entire life, same as you. I told him about the Academy that Grandine was working at so we sent both of you two there. Grandine pulled some strings in our favor to help you boys get into the school so I guess you can thank her for that," Igneel turned to look at his son as he cocked an eyebrow. "Thought it be a good way to keep you boys from getting into any more trouble, but it seems like we were wrong."

Natsu gave his father an awkward grin he knew that Igneel was talking about how he and Gajeel got into fights of campus. Though he was surprised that Grandine was the one telling them to go there to the academy. She wondered if she did it as an old favor to the other two for something in the past, but he didn't focus too much on it.

"So did you and Grandine ever have something?" Natsu asked. Igneel burst out laughing at the question.

"No, no, we never had something like that. We were just part of a close circle of friends is all," he turned his grinning face at his son. "Believe you me Natsu if I was in a relationship with that women I'd probably shoot myself in a matter of days." Natus laughed at the comment, his father was probably right though. It would explain why Grandine wasn't married or with anyone, but he was surprised to see her with a daughter.

It wasn't long before the cars pulled up to a rather large house just north of the beach. The house was rather large, two stories with a front lawn and patio. Natsu was kind of impressed the old bag actually had a nice place. There were flowers around the front door and the flag stone pathway leading up to it. In the windows hung white curtains.

Standing in the drive way was Grandine and Wendy waiting for the others. The cat managed to finally free itself from Wendy's grasp as it was now waiting at the maple wood front door for the others. As soon as Natsu and Igneel had arrived, Metalicana and Gajeel pulled up behind them.

"Well it looks like we're all here," Grandine grunted as the four men walked up. "Shall we go inside where it's warm?"

* * *

><p>Lucy made her way home at the beginning of the week as were father's instructions. She was picked up outside the school in a black Aston Martin by one of her father's chauffeurs. She hated being seen in such a car, people would always stare at her and assume something. It made her feel spoiled and it made her feel like she didn't belong there with the rest of her friends. It was a reminder that she didn't come from the same world they came from, but even worse it reminder her of her father.<p>

To her dismay Lucy wore a fine white fur coat equipped with gold linens and buttons to decorate it. Definitely a first class dress but it was something unbefitting of her. Her father expected her to wear something of this fashion, something he considered to be of high class. He often told her his distaste for her "commoner" style of clothing. He would tell her constantly that it was beneath her.

When she arrived at the house she was greeted by Virgo at the doorway. "Hello Miss Lucy," Virgo greeted her with a bow.

"Hello Virgo," Lucy said smiling at the pink haired maid. She made her way up to the doorway. Virgo still wore her maid outfit making Lucy wonder how the girl could stand there in the cold weather. "It's good to see you again. How have you been?"

"I've been well Miss Lucy. It's great to see you again as well. How is school going?" Virgo opened the door for the girl. She stepped to the side to offer Lucy passage.

"It's going well," Lucy said as she passed Virgo. Once soon as she was in the mansion Virgo immediately closed the door. Virgo approached her with a few other maids to take Lucy's coat from her.

"Oh no you don't have to—" Lucy tried to tell them but it was too late. Two maids had already taken the coat off of her revealing that she was still in her school uniform. She watched as the maids quickly dispersed in different directions disappearing down some of the numerous hallways leaving Lucy alone with Virgo.

Lucy sighed as she stood there on the white marble floor. A crystal chandelier hung high above her with gold chains. A red Persian carpet stretched from the doorway to the granite stairway that led up to the higher stories of the estate. She turned to look at Virgo giving her a weak smile before making her way to the stairway.

"I would think that you would dress more appropriate than that Lucy," she heard a stern voice call to her from atop the stairs. When she looked up she saw her father standing there glaring down at her.

"Hi daddy," Lucy said smiling sweetly at him. His scowl only deepened as his eyes continued to leer at her. Lucy lowered her head as she continued to walk up the stairs.

Lucy's father appeared more elderly than he really was. He was still in his forties but his face was wrinkled as much as a man well beyond his prime. He had dark eyes that no longer had their luster. They were gray and miserable hardly any light shining in them anymore. His hair was sandy blonde with streaks of sliver running through the sides of it. He had a firm mustache of the same color that covered the top of his lip.

The man stood firm as he always did. It was part of his demeanor. It was something he considered to be "gentlemanly" as he described to her. As he stood there he still wore a suit. Even at home Lucy knew that she would find her father wearing a suit. It was always the same, black suit, black slacks with a leather belt, white dress shirt underneath and black loafers to match. The only thing that she ever saw change on him was the tie, and today he was wearing a scarlet red one. To her it almost made him feel inhuman.

"I thought I told you to dress more properly Lucy," the old man growled as his daughter approached him.

"Sorry daddy I forgot to dress more properly when I left the school," Lucy said apologetically bowing her head to her father. The man raised his head in distaste as he looked it over.

"Well then I suggest you go to your bedroom and put on clothes more suitable for a young lady. You may be allowed to dress in such a manner at school where it is acceptable, but as long as you are in proper company you shall dress as a proper lady is that understood?"

"Yes daddy," Lucy sighed as she made her way to her room.

"That's a good girl," her father said nodding his head as he watched her leave. "Oh and Lucy."

"Yes?" she asked turning around to see what else he wanted.

"Welcome home," he said before turning around and leaving. Lucy sighed as she continued to make her way back to her room. The way her father said it wasn't welcoming at all. She wished that there was some way that she could have stayed at the Academy over break, but what else was she supposed to do?

She made her way back to her room where she got dressed in a comfortable white sundress. Though it wasn't anything too fancy it should be something that her father would permit her to wear. It really was a nice looking dress and she really like the feel of the soft Egyptian cotton on her body.

"Miss Lucy are you okay?" Virgo asked as she opened the door into the dressing room.

"Yes I'm fine Virgo," Lucy tired to sound steady as she said those words as she looked back to the pink haired maid. She attempted to put on a smile to reassure her, but it didn't work, the maid was not convinced at all.

"Miss Lucy you must tell me what is troubling you," the maid persisted. "Is it your father again? Virgo sounded more concerned as she asked the young woman.

"Yeah I guess he doesn't like to roll out the red carpet for anyone does he," Lucy sighed. She fought to hold back her tears, but the only thing she wanted to do right now was cry. He never accepted her for who she was and everything she did she did either for him or because he ordered her too, and never once did he ever seem happy with her, or proud.

"I'm sorry Miss Lucy," Virgo said as she walked over to comfort the teen. "Your father can be completely unfair to you I know. But you've become a strong beautiful young woman. And you've been a good friend to me and everyone else around you." Virgo smiled at her, a smile in which Lucy managed to return. She wiped away the tear that was forming in her eye.

"Thank you Virgo," Lucy said as she managed to control her tears. You've been a good friend to me.

"And you've been a good friend to me Miss Lucy," she said smiling at her. "Now come along let's get a nice warm meal in you. It will help you feel better."

"If you say so," Lucy said as she made her way for the door Virgo following right behind her.

"And don't worry your father will most likely be up in his study for the rest of the day so you won't have to worry about him troubling any further," said reassuringly as she followed the teen out of the room.

"I certainly hope so Virgo," Lucy sighed. "I certainly hope so."


	30. Chapter 30

Thanksgiving had finally arrived in Magnolia, and no sooner had it arrived than did the winter. Already snow began to fall gently blanketing the ground with the billowy frost. Natsu and Gajeel both got dressed in their winter school coats and some nice black slacks. They both put on a pair of gloves and their scarves to dress properly for the cold outside. It hadn't been long but already they could see from outside their window that the snow had been piling up for the past couple of days, and last night it looked like it got even worse.

When they stepped out of the dorm the place seemed barren. Not a student was left on campus, and the only other presence seemed to be a few blue birds and squirrels running around. The pathway was caked with ice and slush. The once lushes green grass was now covered with a few centimeters snow. The trees stood standing still naked to the cold frosty air their leaves all but gone, except for the evergreens that were enveloped with snow as well.

Both Natsu and Gajeel made their way to the front of the school where Igneel and Metalicana were probably waiting for them. They took their time they weren't in any rush to go back to Grandine's place. One night there was painful enough, now that they were spending the entire day, the mere thought of it made them sulk. They couldn't believe that they had to go back there, and on Thanksgiving. The two of them were silent for the most part the only sound was the crunch of snow under their boots.

"This sucks," Gajeel mumbled under his breath. He nestled his hands in his pockets to keep them as far out of the cold as he could.

"I know," Natsu nodded his head in agreement. "I really don't want to go back there, but it seems like we don't have a choice."

When the boys arrived at the gate Metalicana and Igneel were standing there waiting for them. Both men layered up in leather trench coats and scarves. Both of their faces were half covered by the wool cloth. Their hands buried deep in their pockets. They said nothing, but stood their silent waiting for the two boys. They didn't seem as thrilled about heading over to Grandine's as the boys were.

"So are you boys ready?" Igneel asked from behind his scarf. Both Natsu and Gajeel answered with the same sulky expression. They couldn't see the sly grin that Igneel had on him from underneath the scarf, but he did try his best not to let out a chuckle. "Come on it won't be that bad," Igneel said calmly.

"You serious?" Natsu said pouting.

"It was like getting our teeth pulled last time," Gajeel mumbled. Igneel laughed at the comment as he turned to lead them to the cars. Natsu and Gajeel reluctantly followed as Metalicana also took his time.

"Are we sure we want to even go back to Grandine's?" Metalicana asked as he too seemed to loathe the idea of going back as much as the boys.

"Well she did invite us," Igneel said. "It would be rude not to show up."

"I can't believe that grumpy old hag even invited us in the first place," Gajeel said as the group continued to walk down through the field of snow.

"It's probably because she's lonely," Igneel told him. "I mean she was living on her own for so long before she finally adopted Wendy."

Both Natsu and Gajeel's eyes shot up as they heard the news. They didn't know that Wendy was adopted, but it would explain why the little girl looked nothing like the old lady, or how she even had a child in the first place. But that wasn't what even surprised them the most, finding out that Wendy was adopted same as them is what struck them as peculiar.

"Wendy's adopted as well?" Natsu asked in disbelief. Both Gajeel and Natsu exchanged looks.

"Yeah she is," Igneel said grinning though the scarf.

"Well that's interesting," Natsu said cocking an eyebrow over at Gajeel who nodded in reply.

"Now let's hurry up," Igneel said to them. "We don't want to be late for Thanksgiving dinner."

"I'm not sure if that's such of a bad thing," Natsu grumbled.

* * *

><p>For Thanksgiving Lucy was to spend the evening with her father in the family dining room. The room itself was massive, three large crystal chandeliers with gold chains hung high above it dangling from the ceiling. One wall was nothing more than a large window that over looked the back of the estate with white-laced silk curtains. The room was decorated with ivory pillars and a large red Persian rug in the middle of the room that covered the vast majority of tan carpet. Small coffee tables stood off in the corners with glass vases held a variety of flowers. On top of the rug in the center of the room was a large thick oak wood table that had to be at least ten meters long. On top of the table was white China with gold flowers embroidered on them.<p>

Lucy sat at one end of the table while her father sat on the other. She wore a yellow cocktail dress with glitter that helped it sparkle in the room light. With the dress she wore matching gloves that stretched all the way to her elbow. She had her hair done up in a neat bundle with a sliver ribbon to tie it all together. She also wore a small pearl necklace with a diamond at the base.

Her father sat at the other end of the table reading a newspaper. At the end of each side of the table were a set of butlers and maids waiting to serve them. Lucy sat there quietly as she waited her father to say or to do something. She turned her eyes the servants expecting them to serve something but they didn't. She wanted to ask her father what was taking so long them to eat, or why he wouldn't eve speak to her.

"Uhm excuse me daddy," Lucy said quietly. The table was so long she wondered if had even heard her.

"What is it Lucy?" her father asked not looking up from his newspaper.

"I was wondering why we haven't started eating dinner just yet?" Lucy asked. She peered back at the servants, none of who said or gave her a response. She was hoping that Virgo would be there to help serve them, but unfortunately the pink haired maid was not.

"Because we're waiting my dear," the old man said still reading his paper.

"Waiting for what?" Lucy asked curiously. For the first time the old man looked up from his paper to offer her a smirk. That only confused Lucy even more since she rarely ever saw her father smile, but the way he smiled made her shiver inside.

It wasn't long until she heard the door to the dinning room open as three men walked in. She immediately recognized the youngest of the three as her own boy friend Sean. She couldn't quite figure out who the older boy was but she soon knew that it had to be Sean's older brother Damian. And finally with them walking behind the two boys was their father. Lucy had never seen or met Sean's father before.

He was a tall man and muscular. His shoulders were broad and he stood up straight. He had long blonde hair with streaks of sliver in the sides that he kept gelled back to look more professional. His eyes were a dark brown and his face grim. The wrinkles around his eyes made him look even more serious than the scowl that he held onto. His skin was somewhat tan, at least tanner than either of his son's and he had two distinct scars on both of his cheeks.

All three of them wore matching suits; black and polished to the point that they were literally shining in the light. White dress shirts underneath and red rosses pinned on the collar. The only difference in dress was that Sean wore a baby blue tie, Damian wore a crimson red tie and the father wore a black and white stripped tie.

"It's good to see you again Konstantine," Lucy's father said standing up to greet the other man. Lucy was surprised to see that her father actually had a grin on his face. That made her worry even more.

"It's good to see you too," Mr. Konstantine said back, his scowl still present. His voice was low and deep sending chills down Lucy's spine.

The three of them made their way into the room Damian keeping a smirk on his face as he eyed Lucy. She didn't like that look it made her feel uncomfortable. However, Sean had friendlier smile, something that was more familiar to her. But she didn't like the feel of his family they just seemed to be a bit more hollow and chilled.

"Hey Lucy," Sean greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. He pulled away smiling at her before taking a seat near her at the end of the table.

"Hello Sean," Lucy said softly smiling back at him as he took the seat on her left nearest her. He reached his hand over and clasped Lucy's, smiling while he did so.

It was then Lucy thought back to the words Gajeel had spoken to her the other day. She remembered how he told her of Sean's aggression and how he was a "douche bag." She never saw it, and she certainly never heard any of her friends say anything negative about the boy. She remembered asking Levy and Erza what they thought of Sean after she had spoken to Gajeel. They told her they thought Sean was nothing more than an up standing gentleman. And now that she was with him she still thought he was, even though the two of them were forced into this relationship he had always treated her well.

Damian and Mr. Konstantine took their seats on the opposite side of the table from Sean. Damian sat on the side closer to Lucy while Mr. Konstantine took his seat on the side nearest her father. Though the two of them were still very far from either. Damian was still at an angle from his brother and a far enough distance away from Lucy that she felt a little more comfortable. But she still didn't like the boy's presence, nor did she the smirk that he carried.

"Well so this is the famous Lucy Heartfilia," Damian said jokingly as his eyes drawn to her. Lucy felt a cold shiver in her chest as her eyes met the older boys. "I've heard so much about you from my little brother. A lot of good things too," the boy smirked wickedly at her she could see a wicked glare in his eyes.

"Oh well thank you," Lucy said politely nodding her head.

"And some not too good things," the boy finished as his eyes turned back down towards his plate. Lucy's heart sank at the remark she wondered what he had meant by "not too good things." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sean frowning at his brother, a gesture that was only met with a grin.

Mr. Konstantine glared at both his boys. Once his eyes were on Sean the boy immediately looked away, but when they fell on Damian the older boy only returned it with the same grin. Mr. Konstantine was not pleased by his son's gesture made but made no attempts to correct it. Lucy could see that the old man did not want to arise any conflict or make a scene.

"Thank you for having us Heartfilia," Mr. Konstantine said politely nodding his head.

"You're very welcome, and thank you for accepting the invitation," Mr. Heartfilia said smiling back. "Now shall we begin dinner?"

"Of course," Mr. Konstantine said nodding.

Lucy waited as the servants brought out their food. A large feast was all prepared, a feast that could feed ten times the amount of people sitting at the table. Lucy sighed as she waited for one of the servers to place some food on her plate. She turned to Sean who was smiling at her. She gave him a slight smile of her own before turning to her plate. Her heart felt heavy as she breathed out a heavy sigh.

* * *

><p>Natsu moaned as Igneel pulled up in front of Grandine's house. He was not excited about the whole idea, and he was even more distraught that they were actually there. The other night was miserable for them. She was so stern and made them eat food that he could have sworn was a week old. The other thing was that her home was such an "old lady" house as Gajeel put it and it made it even more uncomfortable to stay there.<p>

They knocked on the front door where they encountered Wendy. "Oh hello there," the girl said shyly. "Why don't you come in," the girl said as she opened the door for them.

"Thank you sweety," Igneel said smiling at the girl as the four boys stepped inside. As soon as they were in Wendy closed the door and ran back down the hallway.

When they stepped inside Natsu felt even worse than he already did, both he and Gajeel frowned as they stepped through the door. The house wasn't as big as Natsu had expected from its appearance outside. Inside the floor was covered in russet colored carpet, a white maple cupboard in one room with decorative china placed on top of it. In the room was a small circular white table already covered with plates, glass goblets and trays.

The four of them stood there waiting for some kind of orders for what they were supposed to do next. It wasn't long before Grandine appeared from the end of the hallway, an egg white apron wrapped around her waist. Natsu was a little suspicious to see that she wasn't carrying a frown but rather a smile.

"Welcome gentlemen," the old woman said with a friendly grin. "Please have a seat, dinner will be out shortly."

The men all exchanged looks of surprise at the sudden change of Grandine's attitude. Natsu and Gajeel were especially surprised.

"Okay who the fuck was that?" Natsu asked in confusion.

"I don't know but it was certainly better than the Grandine we've had before," Gajeel said shrugging. He too began to take off his coat as the others made their way to the table to sit down.

Later that evening the boys helped Grandine and Wendy bring out the food and set up the table. For the most part it was actually enjoyable, everyone was talking and laughing and just having a good time. That is except for Wendy. The young girl stayed quiet through most of the barely uttering a word to anyone. Most of the questions went back to the boy's school lives, what they were doing in practice and even the topic of their romantic lives.

"So Natsu, Gajeel any girls that we should know about?" Metalicana asked taking a sip of some red wine from his glass goblet.

Neither of the boys said anything, Natsu began to think about Lucy, Gajeel began to think about Levy, though he didn't know why. He guessed that there was something that was there between the two of them, but for all he knew she hated him. "No," Gajeel said shaking his head. "There's no girls just yet. At least fro me anyways."

"What do you mean by that?" Igneel asked as he placed his goblet back on the table.

"Well Natsu is head over heels in love with Lucy," Gajeel told them. Natsu practically spat out the apple cider he was currently drinking as his face turned a deep crimson red. Everybody at the table let out a loud laugh as Natsu glared over at Gajeel who was giving him a wide smirk.

"W-what are you talking about?" Natsu stuttered.

"Well you two were always close when you were kids," Igneel said grinning at his son. "I mean she did grow up to be a very beautiful young girl," Igneel said winking. "Congratulations."

"It's too bad she has a boyfriend," Gajeel taunted. Natsu's glare fell on the black haired boy again. Gajeel continued to give him his same old smirk. It was then that Natsu reached down and picked up a handful of mashed potatoes and shoved them into Gajeels face.

Igneel let out a loud laugh as well as Metalicana. Grandine's rare smile soon faded into a scowl as she glared at the two boys. Natsu soon found himself grinning as he watched Gajeel wipe away the mashed potatoes from his face. He leered over at the pink haired boy. Even Wendy was giggling now, Natsu turned to her and smiled. "Hey Wendy there you go!" Natsu said grinning at her. "You know it's rather enjoyable to see you smiling Wendy." The young girl just blushed a little, yet she couldn't help herself smiling at Natsu.

While Natsu was still focused on Wendy Gajeel took a handful of mashed potatoes from his own plate. "Hey Natsu," the boy said. As soon as Natsu had turned around Gajeel slapped the mashed potatoes in his face.

The motion caused Igneel and Meatlicana to chuckle but Wendy was actually burst into laughter. Even though Natsu wiped the potatoes from his face leering at Gajeel, but then he turned to Wedny grinning widely at her. He was happy to see the girl was acting so shyly around them anymore. The girl continued to laugh until Natsu picked up some potatoes from her plated and dropped them on her head. The girl's eyes went wide as she turned to Natsu in disbelief. Grandine's eyes shot up as she was about to stand up, but before she could Wedny picked up some cranberry sauce from her plate and threw it in Natsu's face. Grandine's mouth went agape as she watched her daughter laugh along with Natsu and Gajeel.

Igneel and Metalicana exchanged smiles as they watched the kids. They then both looked at Grandine skeptically half expecting her to become furious. But they saw that she still carried a look of disbelief. Her mouth was still wide open as she thought of what to do, but she said nothing.

Natsu reached down to his plate and flung some stuffing at the young girl, but she quickly dodged it. No sooner had she dodged it then she grabbed a slice of turkey from her plate and threw it at Natsu nailing him directly in the face. Gajeel burst out laughing to which Natsu shoved some cranberry sauce in the boy's face. Wendy continued to laugh as Metalicana and Igneel watched with wide grins. Even Grandine couldn't help but grin as she watched the kids. She even breathed a sigh of relief as she was happy to see Wendy enjoying herself.

At one point Wendy grabbed her glass of cider and threw it at Natsu's face distracting him long enough for Gajeel to pour some gravy on his head. Natsu managed to take what little gravy he could and flick it back at them. It didn't stop there, Wendy laughed along with the boys as the three of them continued to throw food at each other. Grandine sighed as she rubbed her temples while the old men just watched sipping on their wine.

"Hey Happy Thanksgiving guys," Igneel said smiling as he raised his goblet.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Metalicana said joining him.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Grandine sighed in annoyance, but still she figured that it wasn't all that bad.


	31. Chapter 31

The night was miserable. Lucy's father hardly paid any attention to her he was too busy talking to Mr. Konstantine about business deals and transactions. It was almost like they were at a meeting more than a dinner. She sighed hoping that perhaps she would get a chance to spend some time with her father since it was Thanksgiving, but it seemed she wasn't going to get the chance.

She mostly kept her eyes on Damian as he was the one that was talking to Sean the majority of the evening. He seemed to ask some personal questions, perhaps too personal, that dealt with her and Sean's relationship. Sean didn't tell him much to her relief but it seemed that it only caused Damian to frown more and more with each dodged question. She was at least somewhat relieved that he wasn't talking to her. She didn't even want to know the things that he would ask her. She could see it through the gleam of his eye that there was something on his mind, something about her.

"So Lucy how's your friend Natsu?" Damian asked Lucy snapping her out of her mind set.

"Excuse me?" Lucy asked. She was more puzzled than anything. 'How does Damian know about Natsu?' she thought to herself. She could see out of the corner of her eye a sudden infuriated expression appear on Sean.

"Damian what are you doing?" Sean snapped his eyes glaring over at his brother.

"What I'm just simply asking Lucy a question," Damian said acting innocent. "After all Sean has already mentioned your friend on more than one occasion." Lucy turned to leer over at her boyfriend, but she saw that he wasn't even paying attention to her at this point.

"Damian that's enough," Sean growled glaring over at his brother. Lucy became even more concerned now. She had become even more confused than she was before. She wondered why seemed to get so upset about it, she wondered why Damian brought it up and she wondered what Sean had told his brother about Natsu.

"Oh come now little brother it's all in good fun," Damian teased as he picked up a crystal goblet from in front of his tray and took a sip. He twirled the drink around in his hand as he gave his brother a taunting smirk. "I mean why should Lucy be upset? Natsu is one of her close childhood friends right? So I fail to see what the problem is."

Sean said nothing but continued to scowl at his older brother. Damian wasn't bothered by it at all he just continued to dine on his food and drink from his cup. Lucy turned back to her boyfriend a small frown on her face.

"Sean what did you tell him?" Lucy demanded. Sean turned letting a half hearted smile cross his cheeks.

"Nothing sweetheart, my brother is just trying to tease us like he usually does. That's just who my brother is, don't think anything by it," Sean said trying to sway her, but Lucy wasn't buying it. Sean turned back to scowl at his brother, but Damian just shrugged it off.

Sean snapped his fingers as he held up his glass waiting for one of the servers to fill his cup. He didn't take his eyes off his brother and neither did Damian. To Lucy it was like they were having their own little staring contest, but it seemed like neither of them were going to break their tension. It continued on as one of the maids, and to Lucy's surprise it was Virgo approached Sean with a bottle of cider. She wondered when the pink haired girl had come into the room since she didn't seem to be there when the dinner started, but Lucy breathed a sigh of relief seeing the maid.

"So Lucy you didn't answer my question," Damian said turning towards the blonde, but still kept his eyes on his younger brother smirking all the while he did so.

"That's enough Damian," Sean snapped again, only this time he stood up knocking Virgo down as the bottle of cider flew up into the air. Lucy watched as the cider spilled out from the bottle pouring all over Sean before the bottle eventually fell onto the ground and rolled away. Sean stood there wide-eyed as cold cider dripped down from his head and shoulders.

"I'm so sorry sir," Virgo cried as she stood up to grab a napkin for the boy.

"You stupid bitch!" Sean roared as he grabbed the maid and threw her down onto the ground. "What the fuck is wrong with you!" Sean lifted his hand in the air as he prepared to strike her. Virgo trembled as she held her arm up to protect herself from the blow but it never came.

"Sean stop it right now!" Lucy ordered as she stepped in between Sean and Virgo. Sean glared at her and reluctantly let his arm drop back down to his side. His eyes then turned to Virgo, he was still steaming but he said and did nothing.

Lucy soon felt a chilling cold through her spine as her eyes immediately went to her father. Both he and Mr. Konstantine were watching the whole ordeal, and she could see the look of rage in her father's eyes, only they were directed at her. She felt hurt and somewhat ashamed, but she refused to back down. She couldn't look at those eyes any longer as hers fell to the floor.

Sean's own eyes fell to the older gentlemen, but he could see that Mr. Heartfilia's anger was directed at his daughter and not on the boy. His own father peered at him, but with a more interested gaze than anger. It seemed that his father was more frustrated at the girl as well instead of his son. However, he could feel Damian's stone cold glare on him. He saw that his brother was also furious, but he was the only one that was upset with the boy. Sean didn't care Damian was the one that started the whole thing. He thought that Damian had no right to be angry with him, had he not insisted on taunting him to the point of anger none of this would have happened.

"Excuse me," Sean said bowing his head toward Mr. Heartfilia.

"Of course Master Sean," Mr. Heartfilia said smiling at the boy but his voice was still stern. "Please take as much time as you need." Sean bowed his head again at both his father and Mr. Heartfilia before storming out of the room.

Lucy watched him leave as she knelt down to help pick up Virgo. "Are you okay?" Lucy asked quietly as she took the maid's hand in her own.

"Of course Miss Lucy," Virgo said smiling at her. "I am perfectly fine."

"Come on let's get you cleaned up," Lucy said smiling at her. The two of them made their way to the doorway.

"Lucy!" she heard her father roar.

"Yes father," Lucy said softly as she turned to face him.

"Where do you think you are going?" her father demanded. He gave her a cold glare, one that made her heart stop.

"Virgo is going to take me to get changed father," Lucy lied. "You see some of that cider got on my dress and I don't want to look unpleasant for the dinner."

"Very well," her father said crossing his arms against his chest. Though from the sound of his voice she could tell that he knew she was lying. He still kept his cold glare on her making her feel even more uncomfortable. "Just don't be too long."

"Yes father," Lucy said bowing her head. With that the two women left the room, Mr. Heartfilia's glare still focused in their direction.

"I am sorry about my daughter's sudden rudeness," Mr. Heartfilia apologized to Mr. Konstantine.

"It is no matter," Mr. Konstantine said waving it off. "It was the maid's fault to begin with." Mr. Heartfilia nodded in agreement. "If one of my maids did something like that I would see that she was fired immediately."

"I agree," Mr. Heartfilia said.

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone," Damian said energetically holding up his glass. The two men stared at him as he drained his cup smirking all the while he did so.

Meanwhile in he hallway Lucy fought to hold back tears as she walked next to Virgo on the way back to her room. Virgo looked at the teen with concern and held her close in order to comfort her, but it didn't really work. "Are you sure you're okay Miss Lucy?" Virgo asked again.

"Yes I am," Lucy said attempting to smile to hide back her sorrow. Her mind then went back to what Gajeel said earlier about how Damian was a "douche bag." She had never seen him act so vile in all the time she knew him. That moment where she saw him ready to strike Virgo flashed in her mind. The thought made her hate and resent the boy now. More so than ever.

* * *

><p>That night Natsu wasn't too surprised when he, Gajeel and Wendy were forced to clean up the mess they made. They didn't mind it all too much the real mess was mostly on themselves anyways. Natsu still had clumps of potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy in his hair. Wendy and Gajeel were really not much better, but without the gravy.<p>

On the ride home Natsu was mostly quiet, Igneel sat in the drivers seat. They listened to some old jazz music while they drove. Natsu admired the night since they were practically the only car on the road at that point except for Gajeel and Metalicana.

"So Natsu," Igneel said finally breaking the silence, "what's going on between you and Lucy?" Natsu blushed lightly as he let out a nervous chuckle. He peered over at his grinning father, but shook his head before looking out the window.

"There's nothing going on between us," Natsu said sadly. His father cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh? What's wrong?" Igneel asked.

"Nothing," Natsu moaned.

"Come on Natsu," Igneel persisted. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's just that . . ." he hesitated for a moment thinking of what he was going to say next. "It's just that I would like to be with Lucy, I mean I would really like to be with Lucy, but you see she has a . . . boyfriend. But the guy's a total asshole. I mean he pretty much threatened me to stay away from her, and I want to tell her how much of a prick he really is, but I don't want to hurt her, or make it seem like I'm jealous or anything. But damn it I just want to beat the holy living hell out of him."

"I see," Igneel said chuckling, nodding his head while he did so. "And how much does she care about this young man?"

"I don't know she's still with him," Natsu sighed. "I just don't get what she sees in this guy. I mean he's just a total asshole."

"And do you really care about Lucy that much?" Igneel asked skeptically.

"Of course I do," Natsu said instantly. "She's always been such a good friend, and lately I felt like we've become something more than that." Natsu sighed as Igneel watched him with worry.

For a while the car was silent, all except for the jazz music from the radio. Igneel saw that Natsu was now disheartened from talking about Lucy he didn't realize how strong the boy's feelings towards the young girl were. He wanted to say something to cheer the boy up, but unfortunately he couldn't really think of anything to say. He let out a deep breath he hated seeing his son go from such a joyful state to a sour one.

"You know Natsu," Igneel finally said breaking the silence, "what you said reminds me of a story I read back in college." Natsu peered at his father with some remote interest, but he felt like he really didn't care. He didn't want to hear some sappy story that was supposed to cheer him up, but he figured would only make him feel even more ill than he already was.

Igneel turned to look at his son, but from his expression he could see that Natsu was probably not in the mood to hear the story but he figured he would tell it anyways. "Well I remember it was back in my Mediaeval Literature class. It was a story about a young boy who fell in love with a princess and had to fight to win her heart."

Natsu turned to look at his father, his expression skeptical. The old man gave him a weak smile as he continued. "Well the story begins with a young man who found himself working as a kitchen boy under this terrible king. The king was abusive and treated the boy horribly, but still the boy worked hard and never stopped being committed to his duties. The king's daughter took an interest in the boy when there were still just children, though her father frowned upon it since his daughter was a princess and the boy was nothing more than a peasant," Igneel turned to gaze at his son. Natsu seemed a little bit more interested in the story now.

"Well over time the two of them became incredibly close and when it came time for the princess to be married her father betrothed her to a prince of another land," Natsu noticed that there was a hint of sadness in Igneel's voice as he told the story. "Though she was commanded by her father to marry the prince she wanted to marry the kitchen boy. The two shared their love in secret until one day the boy went up to the king and asked that he marry the princess instead of the prince. The king laughed at the boy telling him that he would never let his daughter marry some filthy peasant, but he knew of his daughter's feelings for the boy and the thought of them together began to worry the king immensely. So he concocted a plan" Igneel raised a finger in the air to emphasize his point. "He told the boy that if he could find the dragon that was terrorizing the land and slay it he would bestow his daughter's hand to him.

"The boy thanked the king for the opportunity, but then he told the boy that he must bring back the dragon's heart as proof that he had actually slain the beast. He then told him that he only had a week to complete the task otherwise the princess would be married to the prince regardless," Igneel turned to Natsu raising an eyebrow. Natsu nodded as he continued to pay attention. "The boy agreed and set out on his quest.

"As he travelled on his journey it took him two days before he arrived to a tall mountain just outside the kingdom. On the top of that mountain was a cave that was known as the dragon's home. So the boy climbed to the top and when he came upon the cave he could hear the dragon snoring in its slumber. The cave was dark and cold and the boy could barely see anything, but he compelled himself to travel down into the depths of the darkness until he came upon a large empty cavern filled with gold and jewels. And there sleeping on all that treasure was the dragon himself," again Igneel turned to his son raising an eyebrow. Natsu thought his father was trying to look like a professional storyteller which he thought was ridiculous, but he was enjoying the story so far. "The boy didn't know how he was actually going to attack the dragon though. He hid behind a pillar of rock while he tried to figure out a plan.

"He decided that he was going to sneak up on it and slay the dragon during the night while it slumbered, but when he did that his sword was unable to pierce the dragon's scales. They were as tough as steel and his sword nearly shattered upon impact. It was then as the boy was in shock at his inability to harm the dragon that the beast woke up and chased him from the cave. Desperate and in panic the boy ran as fast as he could narrowly making it out of the cave. As he ran he came upon a cliff with a river running down below. With no other options the boy leapt from the cliff and landed safely in the water, the dragon all the while continuing to chase after him.

"Finally the dragon flew off and back into the cave. When the boy came out of the river he felt hopeless, believing that there was no way that he could slay such a best. He sat there sulking on the riverbank until eventually an old hermit happened to pass by. He asked the boy what was wrong and why he had been in the river. The boy told him about how he sent on a quest to slay the dragon. The hermit then asked him why he wanted to slay the dragon and why he would risk his life trying to perform such a dangerous task. He asked the boy if it was because he wished to obtain the jewels that were stored in the cave.

"The boy told him that he did not want treasure. He didn't care for gold or jewels, but that he was seeking to slay the dragon for its heart, that way he could marry the princess. The hermit asked the boy how much he loved and cared for the princess. The boy told the hermit that he was willing to die for her if he had to. The boy's answer made the old hermit smile as he then told the boy how to go about slaying the beast. He told the boy that the only way to slay the dragon was to pierce it in its one weak spot just above the throat.

"The boy thanked the hermit and told him that all the gold and treasure in the cave could be the old man's once he had slayed the dragon. The old hermit refused telling the boy that his task was noble and honorable and he wished him luck in his future. The boy again thanked the hermit and set off back to the top of the mountain. Again he waited until nightfall before sneaking into the cave. The boy came upon the sleeping dragon and just as the old hermit had told him he saw the fleshy skin just there under the throat. The boy then stabbed furiously at the open spot causing the dragon to rise in an uproar.

"The boy managed to run avoiding the dragon's fire, but it wasn't long before the beast fell dead at the boy's feat. The boy then proceeded to cut out the dragon's heart and immediately left the cave to return home.

"When he arrived the king was baffled by his return. He had planned for the boy to die while out on the adventure, or at least fail to carry out the quest, but he never expected the boy to actually succeed. The boy demanded the king fulfill his promise and allow him to marry the princess, but he refused. He claimed that the boy didn't actually slay the dragon and that he brought a different beast's heart in its place. The boy cried out that he had defeated the dragon and that king was only trying to prevent him from what he had rightfully achieved. It was then that the king banished the boy from the castle and his kingdom, never to return.

"Despite the boy's pleas he was forced from the city to live in exile. As he wondered down the road he discovered that someone was following him. When he turned to face his pursuer he discovered that it was none other than the princess herself. He was stunned and asked what she was doing there, but then she told him that she would much rather live a life of poverty in exile with him than live a life of luxury with a man she didn't love."

After that Igneel stopped telling the story. Natsu was still deeply interested that Igneel noticed that the boy was practically entranced in it. He smiled to himself, he though Natsu wouldn't have been interested in some sappy loves story from the Middle Ages, but it seemed like he was wrong.

"Well?" Natsu said impatiently.

"Well what?" Igneel asked.

"What happened next?" Natsu demanded. "The story couldn't have ended there could it?"

"Oh well of course they go on to live happily ever after of course," Igneel said laughing. "So what did you think?"

"It was shitty," Natsu grumbled as he sat back in his chair. Igneel let out a loud laugh at Natsu's response.

"Can't say that I blame you," Igneel told him. "It was written back in the Middle Ages and to be honest, those stories aren't exactly up to the thrill."

"So what was the name of that story anyways?" Natsu asked.

"It's one that I always remembered," Igneel told him, a wide grin on his face. "It was called The Dragon Heart."


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I am going to be honest. You guys have been completely amazing in your reviews and feedback. What you have said has truly meant a lot to me. So again thank you all. It's great knowing that you're enjoying reading this story as I am writing it.**

It was a quiet warm afternoon on a warm summer day in Magnolia back when Natsu was only a child. The sun shined brightly during the day, not a cloud was in the sky. Beach goers spent their time enjoying the sun and the surf, while Natsu sat there on that little hill of sand that over looked the pier. He was happy as he just sat there in the shade of the tree. He was tired, he had spent most of his day swimming with most of his friends, but now it was time for him to just sit back in his red swim trunks and enjoy some peace and quiet.

"Hey Natsu," he heard a familiar voice. And though he enjoyed the quiet he was still happy to see the young blonde child approaching him.

"Hi Lucy," Natsu said grinning widely at her. The little blonde girl returned the smile with one of her own as she walked over to take a seat next to the pink haired boy. She wore a standard pink sundress and a white sunhat, which she took off as soon as she was in the shade. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," the little girl told him as she rested up against the tree next to him.

For a while the two sat there in the shade, neither one uttering the smallest word, just watching the beach goers and surfers. Soon Natsu found his eyelids growing heavy as he was slowly began to fall asleep. But before he did he felt a little thud hit his shoulder as strands of blonde hair flew in his face. His eyes went wide as he saw the young Lucy had fallen asleep with her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. The young boy smiled as he too felt sleep taking him and rested his head on top of hers.

When he woke up he saw that his head was still resting on top of the blonde while she was quietly slept. The sun was beginning to set as Natsu wondered just how long the two of them had been sleeping there. He didn't care, he felt like standing up and moving, but he didn't want to do anything that would wake Lucy. He gazed at the young girl debating whether or not he should wake her up or just let her wake up naturally.

He watched her as she slept peacefully. A light blush came across his cheeks as he gazed at her sleeping face. She snuggled lightly against his shoulder moaning just a little her hand resting on top of his elbow. Natsu blushed deepened even more. He couldn't help but think about how cute she was when she was sleeping. He didn't want to wake her up but he saw that the sun was just beginning to set.

He decided that it was getting late and that it would be better for him to try and wake her up, but he determined that he should do it as gently as possible. "Lucy," he whispered in her ear as he gave her a gentle nudge. "Lucy," he said again.

The young girl groaned as she stirred just a bit, but she still had not woken up just yet. "Lucy," Natsu whispered again. This time seemed to do the trick as the young girl groaned again but woke up. Her eyes were still shut as she tried to open them but could not.

"Yeah?" Lucy yawned drearily as she rubbed her eyes. "What is it?"

"It's getting late," Natsu said softly. The young girl hadn't completely awoken just yet as she let out another yawn. He smiled lightly at her he couldn't believe how cute she was. Perhaps he was too young to notice it just yet back when he was a kid but he really did like the young blonde.

"Oh okay," Lucy said offering him a smile. She then began to stretch out her back as she let out another yawn. "Thank you."

"No problem," Natsu said as he began to stretch out his own back. Lucy stared at him smiling sweetly. "Hey Natsu," she said eyeing him carefully.

"Yeah?" Natsu said as he turned to look at her. Suddenly before he could react he found Lucy kissing him lightly on the lips. The boy's eyes shot up as he stared at her, her eyes still shut, but it didn't last long as the girl almost immediately pulled away. Her face was flushed a deep pink across her cheeks as she moved her head back eyeing him out. She bit her lip before as her eyes moved to the ground in embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" Natsu cried as his face flushed a scarlet red. He almost fell completely backwards from shock. His heart was beating like mad.

"Kissing you," Lucy giggled as she quickly stood up. Her face was still a light pink from embarrassment. "Well since we wouldn't be interrupted this time," she smirked at him before running away. Natsu was at a loss for words as he watched the young girl make her way down to the pier and disappear into the crowd. He continued to blink as he sat there dumbstruck.

He brought his hands up to his lips touching them gently. He then peered his fingers as though looking for the kiss itself. His face was still a deep crimson red, but he couldn't help himself. His heart continued to pound away in his chest. He then gazed back up to where Lucy had disappeared. And just then a wide grin crossed his face.

* * *

><p>The bitter frost blew through the air as Leo ran down the boardwalk. He wore a navy blue sweatshirt that had the school logo embroidered with the school's insignia over the right breast and a matching pair of sweat pants. Though he wore a black wool cap to help keep out the cold, he also wore the hood for extra measure. He listened to his ipod as he ran using the sound of the music to take his mind off both the cold and exhaustion.<p>

Once he came to the end of the boardwalk he came to a stop. He stood there bent over panting deeply as he gazed out over the calm ocean. Bits of snow covered the beach as ice began to form where the water met the sand. The sky was covered with a widespread of gray clouds blocking out sun. The wind was gentle but carried a frozen chill with it making each breath feel like he was inhaling icicles.

He felt good being out there now enjoying the chance to peer over the tranquil sea in that deserted place. He had no worries about any of the local kids showing up. It was still a vacation day and many of the students returned home to be with their families. He was alone, and he took another deep breath of the fresh winter air holding it in to enjoy the cool rush in his chest before exhaling it out. It felt good for him to finally be out and about again with no worries of any fighting or any conflict whatsoever. He felt free at last, a feeling he hadn't felt in such a long time.

He then removed his hood and his wool cap allowing the icy wind to blow across his soaked forehead. A shiver ran through him but it was one that he deeply enjoyed. He took his headphones out of his ears as he just listened to the sound of the waves caressing the frozen grains of sand. After a few minutes he turned around to walk away but was stunned to see a familiar face standing behind him.

"Hey Leo," Jellel said as he slowly approached the orange haired boy.

Jellel didn't look at him, but kept his gaze far off on the horizon. He wore a long black pea coat with black gloves and jeans. He kept his hands in his coat pockets as he continued to walk towards his old friend. Leo watched as the boy approached placing his own hands in the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

"Jellel?" Leo asked a little puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just going out for a walk," Jellel said as he came to a stop next to Leo. His eyes soon wondered to the orange haired boy as a light smile crossed his face. "I guess I needed some alone time, but I never figured I would see anyone else out here."

"I'm surprised to see you here myself," Leo said as he turned to face the other boy. He attempted to be friendly but he could see a look of depression in his old friend's eyes. "I remember you left after the incident two years ago. What brought you back?"

"Guilt I guess," Jellel sighed as he lowered his head. He sounded tired and he sounded like he had a lot on his mind. It began to make Leo worry.

"Or is it because you miss Erza?" Leo asked growing serious. He didn't want to offend the other boy or make him feel too uncomfortable, but he knew that with the relationship Jellel and Erza used to have there still had to be something there.

The other boy's eyes turned to Leo they looked glassy and weary. He chuckled a little bit before taking in a deep breath. He didn't say anything he just closed his eyes and let the cool sea breeze brush past him. The smell of salt water carried with it. It was refreshing as Leo could smell it too. He certainly missed that smell since attending the Academy. It had been so long, and it always seemed to smell better in the winter. It might have been due to the chill of the air or that the salt water was just more peaceful during this time of year. He had almost forgotten that smell, but now that he smelt it, it brought back good memories of better times.

"I do miss her," Jellel sighed. "I miss her everyday. It's like no matter what I do there isn't a moment where I'm not thinking about her."

"If you want then please take her," Leo said grinning. "You'd be doing us all a favor."

Jellel let out a loud laugh as a wide grin over took him. "Don't tell me she's gotten worse?" Jellel asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Leo chuckled. "After that night she began to take mixed martial arts classes with me and Gildarts."

"Why?" Jellel asked curiously. "Is it because she blames herself for what happened to me? She shouldn't. It wasn't her fault."

"I don't think it's because she blames herself for what happened," Leo said trying to reassure his friend. "I think that she feels like there was something that she could do. That she could have tried to protect you, to protect herself. I think she just wants to protect everyone now and stop something like that from ever happening again."

"I understand," Jellel said nodding. "And what about you?" His voice growing ever more serious. "I talked to Gildarts before the Thanksgiving break. He said that you still blame yourself for what happened that night."

"Gildarts told you that?" Leo said a little surprised and yet intrigued. "I don't blame myself for what happened that night," he sighed as he turned his gaze back out to the ocean. "I feel terrible that I know what happened and regardless of what I do it seems like those assholes keep getting away with everything."

"So you feel guilty that you can't do anything about it?" Jellel asked soflty.

"I don't know," Leo whispered shaking his head. "I wish I did. I want revenge. Revenge for what they did to you two. Revenge for what they've done to all of us and to the other students. I just want to beat them all into submission and hope that one day they'll rot in jail where they belong, but I also realize that I won't and that's what's tearing me up inside." Jellel stared at him. He could see some pain in the boy's eyes. "But most of all I want revenge on Damian for betraying me and the rest of us."

"It's hard isn't it?" Jellel said quietly. "For one of your closest friends to go off and betray you like he did."

"Yeah I guess," Leo sighed. "But that's just me. Who am I to complain right? I mean you're the one that was put into the hospital so I shouldn't be the one to at all mopey."

Jellel let out another soft laugh. "Yeah I guess. You're such a little bitch you know that?" Jellel said jokingly. Leo smirked as he gazed back out to sea.

"So why did you leave Jellel?" Leo asked. His face became more serious as but he still kept his focus on the water. Jellel turned his eyes to him, but then he too turned them out to the ocean.

"I guess it was because I felt like I had to. I'm not really sure anymore," Jellel sighed. He became a little distraught like opening old wounds, but he didn't stop talking. "I mean I didn't get scared off by what happened that night and I guess I just didn't feel like I needed to stay. After that night I felt like I needed to leave, I needed to go somewhere else and discover who it was that I am. I mean I didn't want to leave Erza, and if I could I would have taken her with me, but I soon realized my own mortality," his face became serious his eyes still weary from the memories. "I mean the doctors said that I was so close to dying and after that I don't know. Maybe I was running away, but from who or what I never really knew."

"That's deep man," Leo teased as he took out his had and gave Jellel a light shove. The other boy chuckled as he shoved the orange haired boy right back. "What did you become a poet while you were gone?" Leo continued to tease.

"No man," Jellel said. "Maybe that's why I came back. Perhaps it was because I was so sick of running from myself and I just needed to come home."

"So why leave the Academy? Why leave all your friends, and Erza behind?" Leo asked raising an eyebrow.

"I needed to," Jellel told him. "After I got out of the hospital I needed to go somewhere else. Damian was a good friend of mine too and for him to do what he did really made me think about my life."

"Well just know that whenever you're ready to come back we'll all be waiting here for you," Leo told him offering his old friend a welcoming smile. "And I'm sure that Erza will be especially grateful to see you again after all this time."

"I hope so," Jellel chuckled. "I certainly hope so."

He remembered back to that day that he encountered Erza when he walked out of the grocery store. A sharp pain stabbed him in the chest as he began to feel guilty. He hadn't seen the red head in so long he wanted to spend more time with her, but he allowed himself to be taken away by Ultear. He didn't know why he didn't stay and spend more time with her. He sighed deeply as he remembered it.

'Damn it' he cursed to himself. 'Why didn't I just stay?'

Leo saw the distraught in the boy's eyes as he began to grow even more concerned. "Jellel what's wrong?" he asked. "You seem more unhappy now?"

"It's nothing," Jellel said under his breath. "Anyways I got to get going it was good seeing you." With that Jellel took off and walked down the other end of the boardwalk. Leo watched his friend as he went, still concerned about him.

"Hey Jellel," Leo called out to him. The boy stopped walking as he turned to face his old friend. Fortunately he hadn't gone too far so it was easy for him to hear.

"Yeah?" Jellel called back.

"I'll see you soon all right?" Leo shouted.

"Yeah sounds good."

Leo chuckled to himself as he placed his earphones back in his ears. He began to set off to start running again, but stopped. His legs were worn but that wasn't it. He was lost in thought as he remembered back to that night two years ago. It pained him to even think about it, but he couldn't help it. He tried to shake it from his mind but he found himself staring back towards Jellel. Seeing the boy just reminded him of it. He knew that it still haunted him, but he could only imagine what it must feel like for Jellel.

He shook his head again clearing it of all mental images. He took a deep breath and finally burst into a stride. He ran in the opposite path from which Jellel was walking. He put his hood on mid stride as he felt the icy wind brush up against his still sweaty cheeks. As he ran he heard the sound of thunder off in the distance just over the horizon of the ocean. But he continued to run anyways, past the dark and hollow stores and frozen trees.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Hey sorry guys that this took so long. Been working 8 hours a day and I've been writing each day trying to get it finished. Hopes it's good and I will be working on the next chapter so I can have it up for you ASAP.**

The break was over and Lucy was thankful that she could finally go back to the academy and be with her friends. She wanted nothing more than to be gone from that accursed house. Though she was still haunted by Sean's actions that night on Thanksgiving. She wondered what had gotten into him. She never seen him act in such a manner before, it just wasn't like him. It made her think back to what Gajeel had told her. She wondered if Sean really was a terrible person. If he was then how come she had never seen it before, and how come none of her friends told her before?

She couldn't let it escape her. She never wanted to date Sean in the first place, but when she did she began to like him. He was always kind and sweet to her. She couldn't think of any reason why she couldn't like him except for that night. But then she remembered Damian and Mr. Konstantine. She had never met them before that night and she already had a bad feeling about them. Meeting those other two only made her question Sean's personality even more.

She made her way down the marble staircase to the front door. Her father stood near the door to see her off. She saw that her luggage was sitting by the front door, at least three fine leather bags and a backpack, more so then what she had returned home with. Two servants stood next to it ready to help carry it out. She sighed but made her way down the steps.

When she finally arrived down at the bottom of the stairs her father stood there leering at her. "Lucy my dear it was nice to have you back home for the holiday," he said. She attempted a smile but it was hard for her. Her father said it with such distain that she hardly believed that he was actually being sincere. Though she just nodded her head and carried on pretending to be the good daughter her father expected her to be.

"Thank you daddy," Lucy said bowing her head to the old man. "It was great to be back home for the holiday." She lied, but she couldn't let her father know that. He continued to hold a glare he didn't even attempt to smile at her.

She didn't take another minute more than she needed to. She gave her father a quick hug before she practically ran out through the door. She made her way down the stairway to the limo that was awaiting her. Once she was inside and the luggage was stowed in the back the driver began to drive off. Once they were at the front gate she saw Virgo standing outside with a suitcase in hand as though waiting for someone. She wore a long brown coat that she held close to her body in attempt to keep warm. She shivered as her breath could be seen in the frosty air.

"Stop the car," Lucy ordered. The driver turned to her raising an eyebrow, yet he still did not stop. "I said stop the car!" Lucy ordered. This time the man complied.

Once the limo came to a stop Lucy jumped out the front door and made her way over to Virgo. The pink haired girl turned to a little surprised to see the blonde walking towards her. "Miss Lucy?" Virgo asked quizzically.

"Virgo what's going on?" Lucy asked as she approached the other girl.

"Oh did your father not tell you?" Virgo asked.

"Tell me what?" Lucy asked confused.

"Well you see I was fired the other day," Virgo sighed as she hugged her coat tighter. Lucy's eyes lit up.

"What? Why?" Lucy stuttered. She was shocked by the news. She couldn't believe her father had fired Virgo. What was the young girl supposed to do? She like most of the servants lived in the servant quarters of the manner. She was only a year or two older than Lucy now it seemed like she had nowhere to go.

"It was for my insolence and dumping the bottle of cider on Master Konstantine's son Sean," Virgo sighed. She shivered as a gust of cold wind blew by the two of them.

"I can't believe that," Lucy gasped shaking her head. "Where are you going to go now?"

"You shouldn't bother Miss Lucy," the pink haired girl said trying to smile at her. "It was my fault and I'll be alright. There's no need to worry about me."

Lucy was taken back to see the girl still in good spirits despite what was happening. Though she could see that the girl was lying. Lucy sighed she couldn't bear to see her friend like this.

"Why don't you ride with me into town?" Lucy said as she placed her hand on the other girl's shoulder and smiled. Virgo's eyes lit up in awe at the blonde's request.

"Sorry Miss Lucy I shouldn't," Virgo sighed.

"Nonsense," Lucy stated as she placed her hands on her hips. "You're coming with me. I refuse to let you stand out here in the cold."

"Really Miss Lucy it's fine," Virgo attempted to say but to no avail. Lucy had grasped her hand and pulled her towards the limo. Virgo tried to object her but she couldn't. She just followed until the two of them were in the back of the limo together.

"Honestly Miss Lucy you don't need to do this," Virgo said quietly as she blushed a little. She wasn't used to someone caring about her so much. Lucy just turned to her and smiled.

"Driver," she said. The man turned back to look at her. "You can drive now."

"Yes Miss Lucy," the man said nodding as he drove off. The car slowly made it's way down the icy roads making sure to drive carefully. As the car pulled forward Lucy took off her coat revealing the school uniform she wore underneath. She didn't want her father to see her wearing it when she left, but for some reason she preferred to wear it instead some fancy dress.

"Th-thank you Miss Lucy," Virgo sighed. She was incredibly grateful but she didn't know exactly how to show it. No one had ever done something so kind for before.

"So where would you like me to drop you off?" Lucy asked turning to the pink haired girl. She smiled at her gently as she saw the pink haired girl blush slightly. She wasn't embarrassed, but she felt like she wasn't a servant anymore, she felt like she was with an actual friend.

"I don't really know," Virgo sighed.

"Listen Virgo," Lucy said sternly as she eyed the pink haired girl carefully. Lucy had her attention as her eyes went wide. "I will talk to my father and I will convince him to re-hire you." Lucy said reassuringly. "You shouldn't have been fired for an accident, that's all it was."

"Miss Lucy you don't have to do that," Virgo said almost pleading with the blonde haired girl. Lucy rested her hand on top of Virgo's causing the pink haired girl to blush a little more.

"Of course I do Virgo," she said smiling at her. "You're my friend and what my father did to you is absolutely unacceptable. I promise you I will take care of you if anything happens. You've always been there for me and you've always taken care of me, it's about time that I returned the favor."

"Thank you Miss Lucy," Virgo said softly as fought to hold back a tear.

"Oh and another thing Virgo," Lucy said to her as she giggled. Virgo gazed at her puzzled by it. "Just call me Lucy."

* * *

><p>Now that Thanksgiving break was over it was time to get back to work. The school semester was coming to an end, but for Natsu he was still just getting into some rhythm in practice. He found himself back on the punching bag practicing his kicks and some of his basic punches. He found himself hitting the bag with enough force that it was starting to fall onto its side, but he just wasn't there yet. He didn't know what he was missing and he had practiced these kicks hundreds, if not thousands of times already. He knew that his punches were working out well, but that kick was the one thing that bothered him the most.<p>

"Natsu relax," Gildarts called out to him from the other side of the room. "It's not about strength and force, it's about letting your hips guide your movement. Every strike comes from the hips. Balance yourself. Breath."

"Okay," Natsu said as he swung his leg for another strike. He exhaled as he let his hips carry his leg through the motion striking the bag knocking it almost horizontally. Natsu grinned as he watched the bag sway back down to rest. He turned to see Gildarts nodding in approval.

"Nice," Leo said as he patted the pink haired boy on the back. "It's almost there but that's a nice kick."

"Thanks," Natsu said unable to contain his grin.

After practice Natsu walked back to the dorms with both Gajeel and Leo. They wore some work out sweats over their gear to stay warm, but it was just so cold out that they hardly worked. They even wore their hoods to help keep their heads cold, but Natsu swore that he could feel the brim of each hair freezing over. The school grounds were still covered in snow and the once cement pathways were covered in frost.

As the three of them passed by the main school building they saw Levy walking out of the front school door, both Jet and Droy in tow. She wore a long dark purple coat with large black buttons and a matching pair of earmuffs. Jet and Droy both wore similar black trench coats, but Jet wore a red wool cap while Droy wore a pair of grey earmuffs. The three of them walked through the cold quietly. Natsu noticed that as they passed they were going to bump into the other trio.

When Levy saw them she smiled sweetly. Natsu and the others stopped once they saw her. "Hey Natsu," she said to him waving. "Hey Leo," she said turning her smile to the orange haired boy. But once her eyes landed on Gajeel her smile melted away into a scowl. "Well it's good to see you two again," she said to them before walking off towards the girl's dorm.

Jet and Droy didn't follow her instead the two boys stayed near the others and watched her walk off. Natsu and Leo both turned raising an eyebrow at Gajeel. Both were skeptical about what had just happened. Gajeel leered at them before groaning as he slapped his mitten covered hand to his fore head.

"What just happened?" Natsu asked confused. Him and Leo both exchanged looks, Leo shrugged. He was just as confused as Natsu was.

"What did you do?" Leo asked with a chuckle. He gazed at the black haired boy expecting an answer.

"I don't know," Gajeel moaned in annoyance as he waved his hands in the air. "I don't know what's going on through that girl's mind at all." Gajeel pouted. "But it's really starting to annoy me."

"Have you tried talking to her?" Natsu asked. Gajeel glared at him.

"Hey Jet, Droy, do either of you guys know what her problem is?" Gajeel grunted. The other two boys stared at him before exchanging glances. They both frowned and scowled at him.

"You mean other than the fact that you're a total jerk?" Jet growled. He crossed his arms across his chest as he glared at the black haired boy.

"Yeah," Droy said nodding his head in agreement. "You've always been such an asshole to her and to everyone else. Are you really surprised that she hates you? I can't even believe some people still tolerate you!"

"What'd you say punk?" Gajeel snarled as he took a step forward. Leo reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder. Gajeel glared back at him as Leo shook his head. "You wanna fight? Fine I'll give you one."

"Now's not the time for this," Leo said as he pulled Gajeel back. "Nobody needs to start a fight with anyone. Let's just calm down and relax. Come on Jet, Droy, don't go on provoking Gajeel."

"Well fuck him," Jet scoffed. "That guy has been nothing but trouble since he arrived here. Now he wants to bother Levy. Are you really surprised that she doesn't want to see such a Neanderthal like you."

"What'd you call me?" Gajeel growled. He took another step forward as he clenched his fist in rage.

"That's enough alright," Leo said as he stepped in between the three boys. Natsu stood back and watched the trifle. He didn't say nor do anything to stop it. He knew that if Jet and Droy were to pick a fight Gajeel would have no problem taking on both of them. But he also knew that if Gajeel were to start a fight than Leo would prevent him from starting any conflict.

"That's enough," Leo said as he pushed the boys away from each other. "Okay you don't like Gajeel and Gajeel doesn't like you," he said pointing to each of them. "So why don't you guys just head to the dorm and we can all just move on?" Leo said shrugging hoping that this would prevent the situation from escalating any further.

"Fine," Jet mumbled as he motioned for Droy to follow him. The other boy followed without hesitation leering at Gajeel as he did so.

Once the other boys were far enough away Leo breathed a sigh of relief. He grinned at both Gajeel and Natsu somewhat happy with himself. However, Gajeel was still a little bitter by the events as Natsu could clearly see the anger in his eyes. He figured it be best to remain quite and not say or do anything that might provoke the boy any further. He had no idea that Gajeel was actually sensitive when it came to Levy. He wondered exactly what was going on between the two of them, but from what he could gather Gajeel was in the doghouse.

Gajeel growled under his breath as he began to walk back to the dorms himself. He was in a foul mood. Leo watched him as he shook his head. He turned to Natsu and gave the pink haired boy a shrug. "What are we gonna do with him?" he said grinning.

"I don't know," Natsu sighed. "Perhaps we should put him down?"

"Well he doesn't seem to be in the happiest of moods," Leo said scratching the back of his head.

"I wonder what happened?" Natsu said folding his arms across his chest.

"Probably better not bring it up," Leo told him. "You know how Gajeel is."

"That I do," Natsu said as the two of them began to walk back to the dorms. As they walked Natsu saw Lucy from the corner of his eye walking towards the two boys. He nudged Leo as he gestured towards the blonde. Leo looked at her as he shrugged at Natsu. She looked serious but Natsu didn't say anything, he just slowly began to walk towards her as Leo followed.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu greeted her. Though he gave her a friendly smile he noticed that she wasn't returning it. He became worried. He was confused why she appeared so serious; it wasn't like her to act in such a way.

"Hi Natsu," the blonde said softly as she let out a deep breath. Her expression hadn't changed as Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Listen I need to talk to Leo if that's okay?" She gazed at him, her eyes were glassy and her expression worrisome. Natus didn't like it but he figured that it was best to just leave it alone.

"Yeah sure," he said nodding his head. He took a couple steps back. He peered over at her still concerned about what was going on. He gazed at Leo as the boy looked as dumbfounded as he was. Natsu said nothing but saw that Lucy gave him a quick smile before he left. He managed to widen his grin but it still wasn't enough. He could tell her smile wasn't sincere, but rather forced. He was just confused as all hell.

He walked back to the dorm occasionaly looking back to see what was going on. Lucy hadn't moved, she watched him as he could see her talking to Leo. He wondered what it was, though it sounded important. He rarely saw her like that, even when they were kids, but when she was he knew that it always meant trouble. But the question on his mind was, who was it that was in trouble?

"So you finally come to ask me out on a date there Lucy?" Leo teased with a chuckle.

"Don't flatter yourself Leo," Lucy scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "You're one of the last people I would date."

"Well better late than never, but you would date me," Leo said smirking. The comment only caused Lucy to giggle more despite trying to contain herself. She wanted to roll her eyes again but she found herself unable to.

"It's nothing like that," she said a little light hearted. "I actually just need to talk to you about something."

"Oh about what?" Leo said intrigued. "Just to let you know a head of time for you and your friends that yes I am available, and I do know of a very nice restaurant near the pier that has a beautiful view of the beach."

"You're such an idiot," Lucy sighed with a chuckle. "I need to talk to you about Sean." She said seriously. Leo's smirk faded as he became grim as well.

"What do you need to talk about?" Leo said sternly.

"I talk to Gajeel before and he told me tat Sean wasn't the guy who I thought I knew," Lucy said sadly. She pouted a bit as she turned her eyes away from him. "And then during break he acted—"

"Like an asshole?" Leo said finishing her sentence for her. She gazed up at him wide eyed. Those weren't exactly the words that she would have used, but she guessed they worked.

"Yeah he had a little outburst during Thanksgiving dinner," Lucy said to him. "What'd he do?" Sean demanded. Lucy was surprised to hear the severity of his tone. Leo rarely ever talked like that, but she knew just how serous his voice was.

"Well you see there was an incident where Virgo accidently poured some cider on him and he flipped out." Lucy said shaking her head. "He erupted so angrily I . . ." she struggled to find the right words. "He was a completely different person. Then later after the incident I remembered what Gajeel said." Lucy paused for a couple of seconds. "Leo I know you've never taken a liking to Sean but you've never said anything about it before. Can I ask why?"

Leo hesitated at first before he took a deep breath. "I never told you because I wanted to trust him," Leo gazed out to the distance his eyes avoiding Lucy. "He seemed like a nice guy at first but then I noticed that he turned into a complete and total cunt."

Lucy stared at him. "Like what did he do?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy you met Sean's older brother Damian right?" Leo asked.

"Yeah?" Lucy said nodding at him. She really didn't understand what he had to do with anything.

"Well you see Sean's brother and I were friends," Leo began. "Then one night he betrayed us. Long story short Damian was one of the boys that put the two Academy kids in the hospital two years ago."

"What?" Lucy gasped her eyes growing wide. "I didn't know that! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Everyone seemed to love Sean," Leo said sadly. "I wanted to tell you but the thing was nobody believed me. They thought I was taking out my previous aggression for what happened between me and Damian."

"Oh," Lucy sighed. "I'm sorry about that Leo I didn't know."

"You didn't Lucy and you shouldn't feel bad," Leo said as he placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "It's my fault really, but when I saw that Sean was still treating you well I just stood back and bit my tongue. But if he did anything to hurt you," Leo's eyes met hers as he stared at her carefully, "then I would anything to protect you." He grinned at her. "And I know that if I ever told Natsu that someone hurt you he wouldn't hesitate to beat the holy living hell out of them himself."

Lucy giggled a little at the statement. "I'm sure he would."

"But Lucy there's something else I should tell you," Leo said his voice growing serious again. "Damian was the one that put Natsu in the hospital."

"What?" Lucy said bewildered. "How do you know? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I don't know," Leo sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess it's because I didn't want to hurt you. And besides would that really have changed your opinion about Sean for what his brother did?"

"But why did Damian attack Natsu?" Lucy demanded. She began to grow furious. She didn't know that, but then she wondered why Sean had also chosen to neglect telling her that. But she began to think that Leo was right. She might not have believed him, or she might have thought that Sean was different, she certainly thought so, but the more she thought back to that Thanksgiving dinner the more she realized that her entire view of her boyfriend was wrong.

"I don't know why Damian went for Natsu Lucy," Leo shook his head. "But Damian is one of the local kids that attacks the Academy kids. So I don't know if he went after Natsu specifically. But then again Natsu was fighting and did beat up some of Damian's friends," Leo scratched the back of his head again. "I don't know Lucy this is all really complicated."

"I see," Lucy sighed letting out a big breath. She was very disappointed but she was still thankful that Leo had been so honest with her. "Thank you Leo," she said smiling at him as she turned around to leave.

"Lucy are you going to be okay?" Leo asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I mean you seem really upset."

"I think I'll be fine," she said trying to reassure him but he wasn't buying it.

"Lucy don't lie to me I can tell that you're upset," Leo said sternly. "If there's anything you need please don't hesitate to ask me. Okay?" Leo turned her around to stare at her directly in the eyes. Lucy blushed a little as she diverted her eyes away from the orange haired boy.

"Don't worry Leo," she said smiling at him. "I think things might be okay now."

With that she left. Leo watched as she walked back to the girl's dorm though he still wasn't convinced. He stood there thinking to himself, but he knew that he told her all that she wanted to hear. Perhaps he could have told her more but it was enough. He sighed shaking his head as he turned to walk back to the boy's dorm. He stopped to take another glance at the blonde before finally going back.

When he arrived at the dormitory he saw Natsu sitting on the front steps waiting for him. "What are you doing?" Leo asked as he walked up to the other boy.

Natsu's face was serious as he watched Leo approach. His eyes were still full of worry as he stood up as the orange haired boy walked towards him. "What did you two talk about?" Natsu asked, though it sounded more of an order than a request.

"She asked what I thought about her boyfriend Sean?" Leo told him. He came to a stop just in front of the other boy. Their eyes met, both of them were serious. Leo knew this was a sensitive subject for Natsu and he could see it in the boy's eyes.

"What did you say?" Natsu asked. His curiosity had been intrigued.

"The truth," Leo said as he walked by the pink haired boy. "I told her the truth."


	34. Chapter 34

It was two years ago during the fall. Leo made his way to the cafeteria where he was supposed to meet up with his friends for lunch. As he walked down one of the hallways he saw his friend Damian waiting for him near the foot of the stairway. He leaned up against the banister chewing on some gum as he watched students pass by, mostly the girls.

"Hey Leo," he greeted the other boy as he saw him walk up.

"Hey man" Leo said as he reached out for a hand slap. Damian ran his hand though his shaggy hair. He grinned as he placed his hands in his pockets as he turned to walk down the stairway with Leo.

When they arrived downstairs they grabbed their food before the two of them made their way over to a table where the rest of their friends were sitting. Leo took a seat next to Mira as Damian took the adjacent seat. Erza sat next to Jellal as the two of them often did back then. Mira sat across from them as she at a spoon full of mashed potatoes from her tray quitely. They all looked somewhat the same except Mira wore her hair in a ponytail. Back then Mira dressed more sloppily; her shirt wasn't tucked in like it was supposed to and her school tie was wrinkled and only halfway tied. Unlike Mira Erza wore her uniform with prestige. Jellal on the other hand wore his uniform neatly but kept his shirt un-tucked.

"So what's up with you guys?" Damian said as he picked up a roll and took a bite. His eyes fell on Erza but the redhead hardly noticed him.

"Eating what do you think?" Mira snarled as she took another bite of potatoes.

"Well aren't you just the ray of sunshine today?" Damian said raising an eyebrow at her. She was usually in a foul mood and for whatever reason the group still had her hang around.

Leo just gazed between the two of them smirking to himself. He knew that the reason why was because despite Mira's hostile behavior she was still a very attractive girl. He joked with Damian that Mira was like a Bengal tiger, incredibly beautiful to look at but as very dangerous. That and he often found it entertaining when she constantly argued with Erza.

Mira's eyes glared at Erza who returned it the same look. Jellel looked back between the two of them. Leo smirked as he waited in anticipation for a fight to break out but it didn't. He couldn't understand why the two of them hung out, but they had since they were little kids. It just confused him but it was just fun to see.

"So how are things Jellal?" Leo asked as he picked up a spoon full of potatoes.

"They're fine," Jellal said. He placed his hand on top of Erza's caressing it gently. Erza's face lit up a slight pink as she gazed at him shyly. Leo watched as he raised an eyebrow, but Damian just scowled as he took a bite from his tray.

"So are you finally going to ask Erza out?" Leo leaned over the table and whispered in his ear. Jellal chuckled a little bit as he turned back to the red haired girl. She was still blushing a little bit as she took another bite from her tray and slowly chewed it.

"I have a plan," Jellal whispered back at him. He flicked his eyebrows. Leo just let out a soft laugh as he nearly fell back in his chair.

"Oh really?" Leo whispered his eyes widened in intrigue. "So what is it?"

"I can't tell you that," Jellal chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "It would ruin the surprise."

"What surprise?" Erza asked turning towards him. She tilted her head in confusion. Mira stared at both of them with a scowl.

Jellal turned to her his face blushing a little bit. "Oh that I can't tell you," Jellal said shaking his head. He chuckled softly as he leaned closer to her smiling. The girl's face flushed as he did so but she couldn't contain her giggles.

Mira watched as she rolled her eyes at the two. Leo sat back resting his chin on his hand as he. He couldn't help but smirk as he watched the two of them. He had been waiting a long time to see them together and now it appeared that it was about time the two of them were finally going to be official. He had been pushing Jellal for a long time but the boy had never taken the risk.

Damian said nothing but remained quite eating his own lunch. He looked at Jellal with disgust. He saw that both he and Erza were incredibly close but they hadn't ever made their relationship official. He was hoping to take the opportunity to ask Erza out himself, but he knew that as long as Jellal was dating her than that wouldn't be possible. Now that he heard that Jellal was actually going to make it official he knew that any chance he had with her was gone. Though he didn't hate Jellal he hated it when he couldn't get what he wanted, and he wanted Erza.

"Hey guys what's up?" a voice asked snapping Damian out of his depressed state as he put on a grin.

"Hey Mest what's up?" Leo asked as the boy sat down next on the other side of Mira. She glared at him, but then turned her attention back to her food and ate in silence. She didn't say anything that could potentially start conflict but she acted as though she was annoyed by everyone, which she more likely than not was.

Mest was a tall boy but he was also the same age as everyone else in the group. He had short black hair that he kept gelled up and long side burns. His eyes were a light green, almost like pale leaves just before the turn of autumn. He wore the standard school uniform but he often popped the collar up with long silver earrings in both ears.

"Not much what are you guys up to?" Mest asked. He smiled at them as he then turned to Mira who just returned it with a scowl. His smile became one of awkwardness as he became more worried that he was about to be beaten. "Sorry," he said nervously as Mira's glare fell back down to her tray once more.

"So what are you doing after practice today?" Damian asked his eyes still focused on his own plate of food.

"Well we originally planned on heading out to the pier to grab some dinner," Jellal said as he nudged Leo. Leo nodded his head in agreement. "But you're more than welcome to join us Damian if you wanted to.

"What about Erza and Mira?" Damian asked gesturing his head to the two girls.

"Can't," Erza said softly shaking her head. "I got some homework that I need to finish for tomorrow."

"Well I guess it will just be us guys then," Jellal said as he pouted jokingly. "That is unless Mira would like to join us?" Jellal said turning to the other girl. Again she said nothing but only glared at the boy who recoiled from it. He waved his hands in the air to deter her leer. She scoffed before returning to her lunch once more.

"So what about you Mest?" Leo asked as he grabbed a spoon full of potatoes.

"Yeah I'm down," Mest said grinning.

Later that night the boys made their way to the pier. It was a cold autumn night but not too cold. The boys just wore their school coats as the made their way to the restaurant. The restaurant was a small joint that over looked the beach and resided just outside the main development. It was a narrow with only a few tables inside with a counter to order from. The grill could be seen in the back as the cook flipped some burgers. The lighting was dim making the run down place look even worse.

After the boy placed their orders they took their seats on the outside the restaurant on the narrow patio. It too was dimly lit but they preferred the refreshing night air over the stench of the worn down café. They sat there with drinks in hand around one of the tables.

As Damian sat down he moved a chain that the owner used to tie the chairs to the table in order to prevent potential thieves from stealing them during the night. He threw it under his chair onto the ground.

"Shit it's cold out tonight," Damian said shuttering as a cold wind blew.

"Stop being such a baby," Jellal joked as he took a sip from his cup. "It's better than sitting inside. Place smells like a moldy jockstrap or something."

"So then why are we eating here?" Mest asked. He hugged his coat in closer to help keep himself warm. It wasn't that cold but drinking their icy cold drinks certainly wasn't helping at all.

"Because it's got some of the best burgers in town," Leo said as he took a large gulp. "Trust me Mest when you have some of these burgers you'll see why it's worth coming here."

"Well, well, well, looky what we have here," a voice said. The group of boys looked up from their table to see another group of boys approaching them. At the head of them was a younger Zancrow, though he didn't appear much different. The other boys were the same group as Zancrow normally associated with except for a shorter boy that followed them.

The new boy was pudgy with a rather large chin and long blonde hair. His eyes were narrow and slanted like almonds. He had a pig like snout as a nose and a wide toothy grin. Though he was short he still stood slouched over like a hunchback.

"It appears that we have some Academy kids out for a little dinner," Zancrow teased as the small group approached Leo and the others.

Leo just sat back in his chair remaining casual. Jellal and Mest sat back as the they scowled at the oncoming boys. Damian on the other hand seemed more entertained by the motion as he leaned over in his chair as a wide grin crossed his face. He waited patiently to see what would unfold.

"You guys don't mind if we join you do you?" Zancrow asked as he grabbed a nearby chair.

"Why don't you guys beat it?" Jellal said menacingly as he glared at the blonde haired boy. Zancrow just smirked as he gazed back at his friends before his eyes fell back to Jellal.

"Friendly aren't ya?" Zancrow said as he sat down and leaned back in his chair. "We're just here to grab something to eat just like you. There's no need to get hostile."

"I agree," Leo said calmly nodding his head. "But if you guys don't mind could you just leave us alone? We just want to eat our burgers in peace and then head on home. There doesn't need to be any conflict right?"

"Of course," Zancrow laughed as he waved his arms in the air. "That sounds fine to me. What do you guys say?" Zancrow turned to the others. None of them except for the short hunchback looked like they wanted a fight. Rustyrose shook his head in annoyance as he calmly walked passed Zancrow and took a seat on the other side of the table.

"I'm not interested in getting into any fights either," he said causally.

"You see," Zancrow said lifting his hand. "We're just here to be friendly."

"Yeah maybe you guys should learn to be a little more humble," the shorter hunchbacked boy said as he stepped towards them. Jellal's eyes fell on him with a menacing glare, as did Mest's. Damian sat back in his chair and waited to see what was going to happen next. He grinned to himself as he bit his lip.

"Back off," Jellal growled, but the hunchback did not heed his words.

"Why what are you going to do about it?" the boy said tauntingly as he took another step closer.

Zancrow watched the two of them with a smirk. His eyes darted back and forth until he noticed Damian was doing the same. His eyes fell onto the boy and soon he found Damian looking back at him. The two of them had the same expression as Zancrow could see Damian's own eagerness for a fight.

"I said back off," Jellal growled again. It was no sooner than Mest found himself standing up, his expression serious.

"Come on guys let's go inside," he said as he motioned them to the door. Jellal nodded without even looking at him as the two boys made their way to the door. Leo shrugged to as he too stood up and followed.

The three of them made their way to the restaurant door but soon noticed that Damian wasn't following. He still sat there leaning back in his chair watching the other boys with some anticipation.

"Damian?" Mest called out to him. Damian turned his head back to gaze at them. Mest gestured for him to follow them but he was reluctant. Eventually he gave up on the potential fight and followed the others to the door.

"Oh what are you doing running away pussy?" the hunchback taunted.

"Easy Nullpuding," Zancrow said. "Remember we're trying to play nice here with the Academy kids.

Damian stopped in his tracks. He turned to stare at the other boy, though he did not offer a gesture of threat nor anger. Instead he just smirked at him. He then turned back to walk to the door, but Nullpuding just snarled. Zancrow watched in earnest as he saw Nullpuding walk up to Damian.

"Hey punk I was talking to you!" Nullpuding growled as ran up to grab Damian by the back of his shirt.

Nullpuding pulled with enough force that Damian spun around. Once Damian was facing the shorter boy. Once Damian was turned to face him Nullpuding punched him in the gut. Mest and Jellal's eyes went wide as they saw Damian hunched over from the blow. Leo on the other hand became more serious. He knew that what Nullpuding had done was a huge mistake, but he just hoped that Damian wouldn't go as far as he knew the boy was capable of.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Damian laughed as he quickly barreled his knee into the other boy's groin. Nullpuding let out a howl of pain as he bent over grasping at his private area.

Damian didn't waste a single second. He saw out of the corner of his eyes that the other local boys were already up and standing and making a move towards him, but what he didn't see was Zancrow lifting up his hand to stop them. Jellal and Mest watched in bewilderment as Leo began to run towards his friend to stop the fight from escalating any further. It didn't take more than a second as Damian reached down under the chair he had been sitting in and picked up the chain that he stored underneath. He swiftly wrapped it around his hand once and while Nullpuding was still distracted by the blow he received to his groin Damian grabbed him by his hair lifting his face up. Once up Damian arched his arm backwards and delivered a blow to the Nullpuding's right cheek.

Nullpuding let out a cry of pain as his body fell towards the ground, but he didn't fall for long as Damian kept his grasp on him. Again he reached his arm back and this time delivered a blow just above the boy's eye. Blood squirted from the wound he had created as little drop spewed onto Damian's own face. Damian continued to deliver the blows blood spattered everywhere soaking both of them as even more of it began to soak the ground. Nullpuding weeped in pain as his legs gave out from underneath him. Even on the ground Damian was relentless delivering blow after blow. The boy cried out as he lifted his shaking hands to prevent anymore punches from hitting him, but it was all for naught.

"Damian stop!" Leo yelled as he grabbed the boy's arm. Damian looked at him as he shook him off.

"Fine," Damian said as he stood up. He wiped some of the blood from underneath his nose. He took the chain and threw it towards the ground grinning all the while. Soon his eyes fell onto the local boys as he just shrugged.

Zancrow watched him scowling all the while. His eyes fell down to Nullpudding who lied there in a pool of his own blood. His face was disfigured, his nose shattered as blood continued to pour from it. Both his eyes were swollen shut as his entire face was smeared with blood. There were numerous cuts and across his face each gash deeper than the last. His clothes were completely drenched a crimson red as he laid perfectly still except for a few twitches.

"You okay?" Zancrow asked raising an eyebrow.

"Damian what is wrong with you?" Leo exclaimed as he grabbed the boy by the shoulders. He gazed down in horror at the bleeding boy and then back up at Damian. He was furious. He couldn't believe that Damian could do something like this.

"Fuck it," Damian said he threw Leo's arms off of him. "Fucker had it coming anyways." Damian began to walk away from Leo back towards the restaurant. "You see," Damian called out to the local kids. "This is what happens when you fuck with me!"

Zancrow scowled as he motioned for the other boys to help him with Nullpuding. As they did so the owner of the restaurant came out his eyes wide with bewilderment as he stared at everyone. His mouth was agape as his eyes darted from one boy to the next.

"Excuse chef," Damian said as wiped some more blood off of his chin. "I think I'll take that burger to go."


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Trying here guys really I am, but things have been getting in the way. I can promise that you'll definitely have a chapter every week. No excuses. The next chapter should be far more exciting and I think it's one that you'll all enjoy. So I hope you enjoy this one too.**

The next morning after the fight Damian made his way to class. That night he was kicked out of the restaurant for his fighting. He knew that he would receive some type of lecture from Leo or the others about his behavior, which is why he opted to walk back to the Academy alone. He knew what he did was against the rules, but it honestly wasn't the first time he had gotten into a fight, and even if he did get into trouble his father had enough pull to get out of it. But that entire morning since he woke he couldn't get his mind off what had happened that night. The blood covered pavement, the sight of the brutally pummeled Nullpuding lying twitching on the ground. There was a sick sense of satisfaction came over him as he thought about it more and more.

His first class was on the second floor so he naturally made his way to the staircase. He kept his hands tucked away in his school coat as he chewed on some gum. He kept his eyes darting around on the different girls that he would pass by. He grinned to himself thanking whoever it was that invented yoga pants for such a great idea.

As he made his way up the stairway he came just up to the second floor where he caught sight of Mest coming out of the administration office. Damian stopped in place as he saw the other boy begin to make his way down the stairwell. Once Mest saw Damian he too came to a stop, his eyes grew wide at the sight of him. Damian offered him a friendly grin, but the sight of it only seemed to make Mest that much more nervous.

"Hey Mest," Damian chuckled as he chew on his gum. "What's up?"

"Oh hey Damian," Mest said casually as he continued to walk down. "Sorry I can't talk right now I got to go." With that Mest made his way by Damian without even so much as looking him in the eye. He ran down the stairway, Damian raised an eyebrow as he watched him leave. He shrugged it off thinking it was nothing and continued to walk up to class.

He wondered what Mest was doing in the office in the first place. The boy wasn't one to get into trouble, and he often hated seeing Ms. Grandine, then again who didn't? He didn't want to think too much into it, but as he continued to walk up the stairs he noticed that the doorway to the principal's office was still open. He could see Markov sitting at his desk when suddenly his eyes peered up and met with Damians. The old saw him his eyebrows furrowed as his glare became that much more fierce.

Damain was even more confused now as to what was going on but he just nodded his head in greeting before continuing onwards to class. Markov's eyes just followed him. He could feel the eyes watching him ever so closely. It made him uncomfortable but he just pretended to act like there was nothing going on and made his way to class.

Later that same morning while he was sitting in his English class when the PA system went off. He was a bit surprised since it was normally a rare for the speakers to go off at all in the school building. And it was never followed with good news.

"Excuse me Mr. Gildarts," Ms. Grandine said over the speaker. "But could you please send Damian Konstantine to the office immediately please?"

"Oh course," Gildarts said as he turned to the other boy. In fact all the eyes in the room were on him now, including Leo's. It made him nervous as he knew that it couldn't be good news if he was being called in. And though Grandine usually sounded upset he could hear the tone in her voice that she meant serious business. He turned and looked at everyone as he could feel his heart stop beating in his chest. A nervous chill traveled down his spine as he stood up to leave.

After his meeting with the principal he found himself angrily walking towards his locker to grab his things. The principal told him that he had been expelled from school for his continued violent conduct and especially for the incident the other night. He was both filled with shock and anger as he glared at the old man, his heart full of rage, he couldn't have been expelled from school, there was no way. His father had too much authority for him to be expelled. The sudden news would be an embarrassment to his family, and above all he was disgraced for letting it happen.

Somehow Markov found out about the fight the previous night. Somebody had told Markov that it was Damian who was the one that started the fight and pummeled one of the local boys so badly that he had to go to the hospital. As Damian made his way to his locker he was so enraged as he attempted to figure out who it was. Was it the local kid himself? Or one of the other local kids? He wondered. But they did not know his name so there's no way they would have been the ones to finger him for the incident.

Then a sudden though crossed his mind as he remembered Mest coming out of the office earlier that morning. Damian stopped dead in his tracks as he remembered the awkward tension Mest had upon seeing him, though he couldn't believe it. 'Di Mest snitch on me?' Damian thought to himself. 'No he couldn't have,' he said shaking his head. Mest was a friend, a colleague there's no way that he would rat him out to the principal. Not any of his friends anyways. But he couldn't stop thinking about his encounter with him.

"Mest did this?" Damian growled to himself finally able to admit that Mest had to be the one to snitch on him. "That son of a bitch!" Damian was filled with rage now. "If I ever get my hands on that two bit fucking piece of shit," Damian cursed to himself as he slammed his fist against the lockers.

"Oh I'm definitely going to get back at that fucker for this," Damian cursed under his breath. His eyes were were red with his anger. "He better pray that I don't even get my hands on him."

After that he said nothing and made his way to his locker where he began to shove books and what ever contents were stored inside into his bag. The principal had told him he had to vacate his locker and leave campus immediately. He was at least fortunate enough to know that the police weren't going to get involved. Even though the principal told him that the police had been called there was no way that he was going down for this. At the very least his father would keep him from getting arrested.

* * *

><p>It was the middle of December and both finals and winter break were fast approaching. All the students were excited about the break, but many more were panicking about their finals. But for Lucy there was another problem. She had just received a letter from her father explaining to her that he would be off on a business trip to Japan for the entire break.<p>

She sat there on her bed in her dorm room reading over the letter again. She didn't know why she kept reading it. Every time she did she only became that much more depressed. It wasn't that she wanted to spend time with her father, that was one of the many reasons why she wanted to attend the Academy to get away from him, but she was still upset that he actually be gone for Christmas.

She didn't know what she was going to do now. Without her father she didn't know whom she would spend the holidays with. She would be alone in that large mansion all by herself. That is if she even chose to go back to the mansion. The thought of her going back to her home only depressed her more. She would be all alone there with no one else except maybe what few servants she had. And since Virgo's termination she wasn't able to compel her father into changing his mind. She sighed as she placed the letter on her white silk blanket.

She wondered what she would do then. She even began to wonder if she should just stay in her dorm room. 'But what would be the point of that?' she thought to herself. She would be just as lonely here as she would back home at her mansion. There would probably be no one here except her as many of students would undoubtedly leave. The thought only made her that much more upset.

She then wondered if it would be better for her to stay at Sean's for winter break. But no sooner had she begun to wonder that then the image of Damian and Mr. Konstantine flash in her mind. She could remember that smug smirk on Damian's face during Thanksgiving dinner. The thought made her infuriated, even more so when she remembered what Leo telling her about how he was the one to put Natsu in the hospital.

Ever since that day she hadn't spoken to Sean. She hadn't seen him and she ignored his phone calls and texts. After what had happened on Thanksgiving she had refused to see him. Her emotion were mixed from her wanting to still be with him, hoping that it was all just a mistake or a misunderstanding, but her heart told her otherwise. She was torn. She even began to contemplate leaving Sean for good, but she knew her father would never allow it. If she broke up with Sean then she knew that her father would hold true to his word and disown her. She ultimately didn't know what to do.

She couldn't spend the break with the Konstantines. She couldn't stand the sight of Damian let alone the thought of spending more than a week with him. But then who was she going to spend the holidays with?

She decided to take a walk to take a load off her mind. She didn't want to think about anything just yet and sitting there in her dorm would only cause her more distress. She rather liked the snow anyways and always seemed to enjoy it. The day was clear and the sun was bright and though it didn't feel that cold outside like one would expect but Lucy still decided to wear her coat. It was still peaceful outside the sound of blue birds chirping could be heard.

The campus seemed to be empty except for a few students that were walking back to the dorms or to the library. Lucy took in a deep breath as she inhaled the fresh winter air. It was quite refreshing and it helped her get her mind off of everything else. She walked down to the library enjoying the snow and the sight of blue jays and orioles flying around the once full cherry blossom trees.

She wondered around the campus until she came upon one of the many benches that encircled the main door of the school. She sat there taking in some more of that fresh winter air. It was nice and peaceful that day as she sat there. A nice breeze blew by her, it was a little chilly but it was more settling than anything. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if she stayed on campus for the winter break but then again she could still enjoy it at home.

She closed her eyes letting her skin bake in the sun as another gust of wind blew by. Then soon she heard a friendly and familiar voice speak to her. A voice that made her smile, "Hey Lucy." She opened her eyes still smiling gently as she saw Natsu standing there in front of her. The boy grinned widely.

"Hey Natsu," she said softly as the boy took a seat down next to her. She combed her hair back as she watched him take his seat. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Natsu said as he dropped his bag down at his feet. "Studying for all these finals is killing me." He chuckled. "I'm just hoping that I can at least pass otherwise I fell like I'm going to fail out."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lucy said rolling her eyes. "You'll be fine."

"Lucy come on it's me," Natsu laughed sarcastically.

"That's true," Lucy said nodding her head.

"Oh that hurts," Natsu burst out into laughter. "So what about you? You think that you'll be fine with finals?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Oh I'm sure I'll do alright," Lucy said reassuringly. "I mean I'm averaging around a B in most of my classes so I got nothing to worry about."

"Well you're lucky aren't you Lucy?" Natsu sighed as he leaned back. His eyes found themselves looking up into the cloudless sky. "I'll be lucky if I can even get a C in half of my classes. I mean I'm not doing that badly but still."

"Well just keep studying and I'm sure you'll do fine," Lucy said shrugging.

"I certainly hope so," Natsu said grinning widely at her. "By the way Lucy what are you going to do for winter break?"

Lucy was startled by the sudden enquiry of the question. But she could see that Natsu was serous when he asked her. She didn't know what to tell him. She didn't want to talk about her father or about how she was going to be alone for the holidays. She just remained silent keeping her eyes on her feet. The sight of her doing so caused Natsu to raise an eyebrow.

"Lucy are you okay?" Natsu asked her. There was worry in his voice.

"Yeah I'm fine," she said offering him a grin. "But the problem is my father." She paused to think about what she would say next. "My father just told me that he would be away on business for the winter break." Lucy sighed as she rested her chin in her hands. "Now I don't know what I'm going to do for the holidays."

Natsu watched her carefully he could see the distraught in her eyes as they gazed dully down on the icy pavement. "You know what Lucy?" Natsu said leaning in closer to her. Lucy turned her eyes up towards him but they were still carried great sadness in them. "My father just told me the other day that he was coming down to spend the winter break here in Magnolia with me. So you know you're more than welcome to join us if you want?"

Her eyes went wide as she raised her head. Did Natsu really suggest that she spend the entire break with him? What would they do? Would she have to stay at his place or would she stay at hers? Her mind was buzzing with questions.

"Yeah and if you want I know Gajeel and Erza and the others are staying in town as well. We could all hang out together again like we used to when we were kids. Come on you know that it's going to be fun. I don't know what we'll do exactly," he said scratching his chin as he, "and quite honestly I don't think it will be as great as it would be with Gajeel running around too, but who knows? "

She smiled at him as a light blush crossed her cheeks. "You know that actually sounds like it would be nice," Lucy said smiling at him. She felt a lot happier now knowing that she wouldn't be alone, but even more thrilled to know that she might actually be able to spend it with her friends.

"Yeah that sounds great Natsu," she giggled. "I think it would be nice to spend the break with you and everyone else." They hadn't really had the opportunity to spend much time together over the semester as she would have hoped for, but now they would finally have the opportunity to be together again. The thought made her excited as she wondered what they would do together. She even thought about the entire group being together, but the one thing that she kept absent from her mind was Sean. Perhaps now she would finally have the chance to really enjoy herself for once.

"Great then," Natsu said grinning wildly. He couldn't contain his joy. "I just can't wait."

"But you got to make sure you pass your finals first," Lucy said smirking. Almost immediately when she had said this Natsu found himself sulking at the sudden realization. He turned to her with gloomy eyes only to be met with cheery ones. Just when he thought he had gotten over the idea of finals she just had to bring it up.

"Uh don't remind me," Natsu sighed as he leaned forward rubbing his forehead. "I swear surviving them will be a task all on it's own."

"You'll do fine Natsu," Lucy said comforting him. She inched her way closer to him wrapping her arm around his shoulder. Natsu let a deep breath as he turned to smile at her. "You should stop worrying so much about them."

Natsu didn't say anything. The thought of spending the entire break with Lucy was enough to put that grin back on his face. The finals would be tough, but he knew that the reward would be worth it. Now he was eager to just get them done. He soon found Lucy's hand falling down and gripping his; the two of them holding the other's hand tightly. A blush came across both of them as their eyes soon found themselves staring back into one another. Lucy's eyes peered down before they found their way back up into Natsu's.

For a while the two sat there in silence neither of them uttering a word. The only sound was the blue birds chirping the in the tree above them. They were alone in that moment together, and Natsu smiled when it was abruptly ended when the sound of footstep crunching in the snow began to approach them and the sound of a familiar voice tore them from that serine moment.

"So what's going on here?" Sean said as he stopped just in front of them. A sly smirk crossed his face.

"Oh great," Natsu sighed to himself as he scowled at the other boy. "It's Sean."


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: AS PER REQUST ALL FLASHBACKS WILL BE DONE IN ITALICS AS TO AVOID CONFUSION.**

_It had been a few days since Damian's explosion. Everyone was surprised by the news, not because they didn't expect it, pretty much everyone knew of Damian's antics, but they were surprised the principal actually managed to go through with it. For Leo he was a little saddened by the sudden expulsion of his friend, but he also had mixed feelings about the whole thing. He knew that Damian ultimately got what he deserved and he was even more concerned about Damian's behavior. He knew about Damian's antics before but he never seen him go that far._

_It had been a couple of days since that night and Leo still thought back to the image of Nullpuding on the ground in bloody heap. It scared him to think about what compelled Damian to go so far. He couldn't shake from his mind, he had been thinking about it all day. He made his way down one of the hallway towards the lobby for lunch. Perhaps some food and time with his friends would give him the chance to get his mind off of it._

_When he arrived at the usual table in the cafeteria he noticed that only Jellal and Mest were sitting at the table. He found it a little odd; Erza and Jellal were near inseparable. Though he knew that it was probably better that it was just the boys for today. He wanted to get his mind off of what happened that night and about what happened to Damian, but perhaps it was better for him to talk it out with the others._

"_Hey guys," Leo said as he took a seat next to Jellal. Leo's tone of voice sounded disheartened as both Mest and Jellal could tell. Mest watched him closely from across the table as put his fork down; both he and Jellal exchanged gazes._

"_What's wrong with you?" Jellal asked raising an eyebrow._

"_Yeah man you've been out of it all week," Mest said as he leaned in closer. "Are you still upset about Damian? I know it's a shocker to us all, after all Damian was a close friend, but you got to realize he probably deserved it. I mean that kid was fucked up. And I mean really fucked up."_

_Leo's eyes fell on Mest with a more chilling glare. Mest was a little taken back as he turned to Jellal for some help. Jellel just shrugged as he too could sense that there was something abnormal about Leo's behavior. He wasn't his spry and cheery self._

"_I know," Leo grunted as he dropped his head into his hands. He rubbed his forehead in agitation. "I just don't know what went wrong. I know Damian should be expelled but I guess it's more on how I don't know what happened. And I know how Damian is. He's not going to take this well."_

"_Well let's get our minds off of Damian then," Jellal said patting Leo on the back offering him a friendly grin._

"_Yeah man forget him," Mest said shrugging. "What you should do is listen to the news that Jellal has," Mest said smirking. His grin was wide as he motioned his eyes back to Jellal. Leo became more intrigued as he turned to face Jellal._

"_So what's up?" Leo asked._

"_Well I've been giving it a lot of thought and I finally decided to ask Erza out," Jellal chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. His face turned a light shade of pink with embarrassment._

"_Oh shit man," Leo said as he burst into laughter. "Well it's about time you two finally made it official, I mean shit man." His frown disappeared and replaced with a toothy grin. "So when are you going to ask her?"_

"_I'm going to ask her after the big game," Jellal said as his eyes turned back down towards the table. He was still blushing a little bit from embarrassment but it didn't faze him all too much. Leo had never really seen Jellal get all flustered. "You see I had this plan," Jellal muttered, he was becoming a little bit more flushed. " I'm going to go buy her a locket in it and give it to her when I ask her. You know as a symbol of our relationship."_

"_Uh huh," Leo said nodding his head as he followed every word Jellal spoke to him. "I like the idea. It's cute." Leo teased him fluttering his eyes. Jellal just laughed as he shoved the other boy._

"_Fuck off," Jellal chuckled along with Jellal. Mest joined in with them as the three of them were laughing so crazily. People from the nearby table turned to look at them awkwardly. The boys didn't care though, they were too busy doing their own thing. "But seriously what do you guys think?"_

"_I think that it's pretty good idea," Mest told him once he calmed down a little bit. "I think Erza will certainly like it. It just doesn't scream extravagant but it still works in my opinion," Mest said nonchalantly. "I know that Erza will definitely like it."_

"_Speaking of which," Leo said as he peered around the room. "Where is Erza and the other girls anyways?"_

"_Oh they had something going on for their Biology or some kind of science class," Jellal said shrugging. He didn't really know what the girls were doing at that point, but he did hope that they were getting along. Erza and Mira didn't exactly get along with each other and often times he found himself breaking up would be fights between them. How and why those two were friends he could never understand, but then again he could never understand half of the things those girls did. "But at least it gives us the opportunity to talk about this now without Erza finding out."_

"_So you give her the locket after the game what's the big deal?" Leo asked._

"_Well you see I don't actually have the locket just yet," Jellal said scratching the back of his head._

"_Wait what?" Leo asked confused. His eyes turned to Mest he just returned it with a shrug. "What do you mean that you don't have the locket yet?"_

"_Well you see I didn't want to risk losing it or having something happen to it so I decided to let the store hold on to it until the night of the big game," Jellal told him. "I mean you know me."_

"_Yeah that's true," Leo said nodding in agreement. "Besides knowing Erza she would have found it eventually like she always does. No matter what you do that girl always seems to find out everything."_

"_Yeah I know," Jellal chuckled as he turned his eyes back towards the table. "But that's why I'm counting on you guys to keep it a secret." Jellal lifted his finger and pointed it at both of them warningly. Though he was just joking with them, the boys just offered him some wide smirks._

"_Don't worry man you're secretes safe with me," Leo told him._

_When Friday finally came around everyone in the Academy was full of excitement about the big football game that night. The Academy was playing one of the local high schools from down the road, and almost everyone in the student body was going to be there. For Jellal that night was bigger than just a game between the two rival schools it was the night that he was finally going to make his relationship with Erza official. He waited anxiously by the main school gates with Leo and Mest as tried to stop his body from shaking._

_It was a chilly night and many of the students had already left or were preparing to leave. Everyone dressed in their school coats or jackets and scarves to keep warm, and to show school support for the team that night. There were a few inches of snow of the ground but that didn't deter anyone from going. It wasn't so bad, the night was clear as the stars shined brightly in the blanket of darkness, and the air was still._

_Leo watched as Jellal paced back and forth. He leaned up back against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Mest stood next to him with his hands in his pockets, his eyes moving from Jellal to the girl's dorms where Erza and Mira were getting ready. Though he knew that Jellal was always overly excited this night in particular he just seemed to be more excited than usual._

"_Hey Jellal calm down man," Leo said to him as Jellal passed by him again. Leo had lost count by now and he was beginning to get annoyed. "You keep acting like this than Erza's going to know that something is up. You just need to breath and relax. You know she's going to say yes."_

"_You really think so?" Jellal asked his voice still nervous. He may have stopped walking but his body was still jittery._

"_Dude come on this is Erza we're talking about," Leo said rubbing his temples in annoyance. "You two have pretty much been dating for years now. We know she likes you, so stop getting all nervous."_

"_Okay man," Jellal said as he took in a deep breath. "I'll try."_

"_Speaking of which here they come," Mest said as he motioned his head towards the direction of the girl's dorm. Both Leo and Jellal looked over to see Erza and Mira walking together towards them._

_Neither of them were talking and both had a scowl on their faces. Leo groaned when he saw them. It looked like the two of them were already fighting like they usually did and he knew that the night might not be as great as he would have hopped for. He turned to Mest who seemed to have the same expression as Leo. He knew it too, however Jellal was still too busy struggling with his own nerves._

"_Hey girls how you doing?" Leo asked as soon as the two of them walked up to the other boys._

"_Fine," Mira grumbled as she walked by them and sulked near the gateway._

"_Okay," Leo sighed as he exhaled a deep breath. "And what about you Erza?"_

"_I'm fine too," Erza practically growled as her eyes glared over at Mira. Mira returned it with one of her own creating such tension between everyone. Leo and Mest both exchanged glances of worry, but soon saw Jellal step in between them._

"_Hey Erza," he said offering a smile. Erza's scowl immediately vanished was replaced with a friendly smile of her own. Mira just scoffed as she looked away from them. "You're looking lovely tonight."_

_Erza blushed at the compliment as her eyes fell to the ground. "Thank you," she said softly as her eyes looked back up and met with Jellal's. The two of them stood there smiling at each other. Leo's eyes darted back and forth between them as he slid in between them._

"_Okay guys before you two start something we should probably get going," Leo snickered as he could see the look of embarrassment on both of them. "We don't want to be too late for the game."_

"_Yeah okay," Jellal said as he took a step. Both he and Erza's faces were a crimson red now._

_With that the group made their way down the street. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the local high school where the game was being played. Already students had filled the stand to the point that there were no seats left. They knew that they would now have to watch the game from the railings if they wanted to watch it at all._

_The field was cleared of snow, but there were still some small mounds on the outskirts of the field. The football field was located behind the high school in its small little sector. There were two sets of stand on either side, one for the home team and one for the away team with large scoreboards at both ends of the field. The away side was covered in people wearing the Academy's colors, mostly because they were wearing their uniformed coats. On the other side was a mixture of purple and yellow, the local high school's colors._

_Police guards monitored both sides standing near the fence and between two sides to keep any fights from breaking out. Already taunts were being yelled at from both sides and even curse words. It was way too noisy except for those that were standing near the railing._

_When the game began an eruption of roars and cheers echoed through the stadium. The Academy's football team was playing particularly well. When halftime came around Jellal nudged Mest and Leo motioning them to follow him. Leo and Mest both nodded as they began to follow. It was about that time that Jellal had determined that he would leave to go grab Erza's locket. It was late at night but the jewelry shop was still open giving him the chance to grab it just before it closed._

"_Hey where are you guys going?" Erza asked as she saw the three boys leaving. Mira said nothing, only leered at all of them._

"_Oh I was just going to go grab something real quick," Jellal told her. "Leo and Mest were just going to come with me."_

"_Oh okay," Erza said nodding her head._

"_Great just leave me here with the bitch alone," Mira grumbled._

"_What was that?" Erza growled as she stared over at the white haired girl. The boys exchanged looks as they saw the oncoming fight between the girls. They became worried, especially Jellal._

"_Hey, hey, hey ladies come on now," Leo said as he took a step towards them. The two of them glared at him causing the orange haired boy to recoil backwards. "Okay," he said waving his hands in the air taking a step backwards. _

"_Erza, Mira come on," Jellal said as he took a step towards them._

_Erza leered one last time at Mira before complying. She scowled as she turned her attention back onto the field where the local marching band was performing. Mira held her glare but when she knew Erza wasn't going to say anything she just scoffed and turned her attention back to the field as well. Both of the crossed their arms, the tension between them was ridiged._

"_Hey listen Leo," Jellal said rubbing his chin. "Do you mind staying here and keeping those two from killing each other?" Jellal asked gently. Leo frowned at him, there was no way he wanted to be struck alone with those two girls._

"_Why can't Mest stay?" Leo asked as he crossed his arms across his chest._

"_Because you know as well as I do that Mest is useless when it comes to keeping those two from going at each other's throats," Jellal sighed. Mest looked somewhat offended but he knew that it was true._

"_Fine," Leo moaned rubbing his forehead. "But you owe me."_

"_Thanks Leo," Jellal said grinning. With that he and Mest took off and made their way down to the jewelry store._

_The jewelry store wasn't too far from the high school. Jellal and Mest made their way down the pier. It was dark; the only lights were the few streetlights that were still lit and some restaurant and bars that were still open. The store they were looking for was located on the other side of the food court. When they arrived at it there was a large florescent green light that read "Herman's Jewelry."_

_It didn't take long Jellal walked inside and quickly grabbed the locket. Mest waited for him by the door. Jellal thanked the clerk before leaving. "All right I got it," he told Mest as the other boy followed him._

_Jellal kept his eyes on the locket smiling widely as he did so. It was a small gold heart on a gold chain. Etched on the heart was "E & J" in cursive. On the inside was a picture of Erza and Jellal when they were only kids. It was back from when they were about six or seven years old. It was when they first met. Though the picture was small it as still easy to see the young girl sitting there smiling a wide smile with her front two teeth missing. Her hair was kept up in a pony tail as she sat there wearing a white sun dress. Jellal sat next to her only one tooth was missing from his own smile as he wore a white tank top over orange swim trunks. It was a small adornment and it cost him a small fortune, but he knew it was worth it._

_Jellal managed to pull out his cell phone and send a text message to Leo letting him know that they were on their way back._

"_There's that little cock sucker," Damian said as he watched the two of them walk out of the jewelry store. Standing next to him was Zancrow and the other boys that he often hung out with. Zancrow just grinned widely as he too watched the local boys walking out. "I'm going to teach that little piece of shit snitch what happens when he fucks with me."_

"_Stupid fucker shouldn't have told you about his plans now should he?" Zancrow chuckled flicking his eyebrows at Damian._

"_What an idiot," Rustyrose groaned in annoyance as he placed his hands in his pockets._

"_All right," Damian said as he placed a black ski mask over his face. "Let's go."_

"_So what do you think?" Jellal asked holding the locket up to Mest._

"_It's nice," a voice said from behind them. A cold chill ran through Jellal's spine as he felt his heart sink. When he and Mest turned around they saw five boys standing behind them each of them holding aluminum baseball bats. Before they had time to even think about running four of the boys made a circle around the two of them._

"_Oh shit," Met breathed deeply as he watched them. Jellal held his ground as he quickly placed the locket in his pocket._

"_What do you want?" Jellal growled as he watched as the boy who was talking to them walked towards them._

"_Oh nothing but a little fun," the boy said shrugging. Jellal watched as he took another step closer and soon he was just within arm's reach of him._

_Quickly Jellal took a swing in an attempt to punch the boy. But to his dismay the boy dodged it by stepping to the side. Jellal fell stumbled forward as the other boy swung the bat hitting Jellal in the back of the thigh. He let out a loud scream as he fell down to one leg. The boy watched as he fell down but said and did nothing after that but take a step passed him and moved towards Mest._

"_Don't worry you're not the one I'm after," the boy said as Jellal lay their grabbing his thigh in pain._

_Mest took a step backwards but bumped into one of the other masked boys. He turned around to look at him. He was a large fat boy who chose not to hit him with the bat but instead lifted his large foot up and kicked Mest in the stomach knocking him backwards into the boy who had just hit Jellal._

"_Hello sunshine," the boy said jokingly as he smirked. Mest's eyes went wide as the boy swung the bat striking him in the side of the head. Mest collapsed on the blow as blood spewed forth from where he was struck. The boy raised the bat again high above his head and with great force struck Mest in the back knocking the boy into the ground. Though Mest was unconscious his body was still twitching._

_Jellal watched in horror as he attempted to pick himself up and move away while the others weren't looking. He managed to crawl a few feet but soon felt a foot strike him in the back knocking him down into the pavement. He let out a cry of pain and rolled to his back. He still clenched his leg but soon opened his eyes to see two masked boys standing above him._

"_Well, well, I know that you weren't supposed to get caught up in this, but sometimes shit happens," one of the masked boys said. Jellal recognized the voice he knew that it was Zancrow. He could hear the sound of bats colliding with flesh, as he dared not look over at Mest. The boy was already unconscious from the first blow so Jellal knew that he wasn't awake. But he could feel a warm liquid substance against his leg. When he looked down he saw that it was blood, blood that was coming from Mest's unconcious body. The snow underneath his was a deep crimson, but fortunately there was still a fog of air coming from where he was breathing. At least he knew that the boy was still alive._

"_Fuck you," Jellal growled clinching his broken arm in pain._

"_Fuck me?" Zancrow said sounding offended as he pointed to himself. "No fuck you." With that Zancrow lifted his bat into the air. Jellal turned to his side lifting his arm up to shield his face allowing the bat to hit his arm rather than any other part of his body. He let out a cry of pain as he could feel the bone in his arm break._

_Though he knew that it was a long shot he couldn't just lie there and let them hit him. As Zancrow lifted the bat again for another blow Jellal took the opportunity to kick the boy in the groin. Zancrow let screamed as he dropped the bat and grabbed at his testicles. The other boy stared at him rather shocked about what had just happened. While he wasn't looking Jellal struck him in the groin as well. The other boy yelled out in pain._

_Jellal got to his feet as he stumbled to keep his balance. He could only stand on one leg. Damian turned around, as he was no longer striking Mest with a bat. The boy was motionless, as Jellal feared the worse had happened. There was nothing but a puddle of blood and blood stained clothes. Jellal gulped as he tried to stagger away. Damian walked towards him holding his back out in front of him._

_It wasn't long before Damian was on him. "Where you think you're going?" the boy called out to him as he swung the bat hitting Jellal in the back. The boy cried out in pain as he fell down to the ground. He heard the sound of a piece of metal hitting the ground. He breathed heavily the pain in his leg and in his back was just too immense. His arm was broken he knew that as a searing pain radiated through it._

_He clinched his teeth. When he opened his eyes he saw the locket lying in the street a few feet away from him. Without hesitation he forced his body to move towards it, extending out his hand to grasp it._

_Damian watched wondering what Jellal was doing. But then saw the small piece of medal just inches away from the boy's hand. "Oh what's that?" Damian asked chuckling. Jellal was almost there, the locket just within his grasp but then Damian stomped down hard on his hand. Jellal yelled but seethed hoping to relieve some of the pain, but it didn't work. He watched as Damian squatted down and picked up the necklace._

"_Well, well, isn't that a nice piece," he said holding up so he could admire it. When he opened it he saw the picture of Jellal and Erza inside. When he closed it up he saw the letters "E & J" etched on the outside. The sight of which caused him to scowl. "You know I think I'll keep it."_

_Jellal breathed heavily trying his best to ignore the pain. But now it seemed like his whole body was in searing agony. "Fuck you," he managed to gasp between breaths._

"_Well that's not very nice," Damian said as he tucked the locket away in his coat._

"_You piece of shit!" Zancrow yelled as he ran over, bat high in the air. He swung it down striking Jellal hard in the back. Again and again he wailed on the defenseless boy until finally Damian grabbed his arm._

"_That's enough," Damian ordered as he pushed the boy back. "He's done. Come on. Ditch the bats and let's go."_

"_Wait but what about fingerprints," the large boy asked as the others dropped their bats._

"_We're wearing gloves you dumbass," Damian said angrily._

"_Oh yeah," the large boy laughed. He threw his bat down and followed them._

_At that point Jellal was motionless. His eyes shut but he was still breathing, although barely. Blood began to seep trough his thick wool coat and down into the white snow turning it into a deep crimson._

"_Come on let's get out of here," Damian said as he motioned the other boys to follow him._

_The boys ran down the street back towards the school. As they ran Damian took off his ski mask to let his face breath. He inhaled a deep breath of the icy air savoring it every last bit. He felt good. Actually he felt fantastic. Revenge provided such a sweet feeling and a rush that he rather enjoyed._


	37. Chapter 37

_ It had been a long time since Jellal and Mest had left to retrieve Erza's present, too long. Leo began to get worried as he had trouble to control his own jitters. He could see that Erza herself was beginning to get uncomfortable. He could see her eyes constantly darting to the entrance gates hoping to just get a peek of Jellal. Leo felt troubled as the continued to stand between the two girls. He noticed that Erza was becoming upset, hugging her coat closer to herself. He didn't know if it was because she was cold or because was worried, either way it made him that much more anxious._

_ Though the girls had been growling and glaring at each other for most of the night. Now the two of them were quiet. Mira had noticed the worry in Erza's eyes as well as she began to grow concerned. Whatever the boys were doing it should not take them this long._

_ Leo pulled out his cell phone in an attempt to call Jellal to ask him where he was. To his dismay it went straight to voice mail. He sent a text, but he still received no answer. His worries became that much more serious as he wondered just where Jellal and Mest could be._

_ He saw as Erza's eyes fell back to the entranceway. He couldn't bear it any longer he was getting far too anxious now. He decided that it would be best if he went looking for them to see exactly where they were. Something had to have happened. He knew that there had to be something wrong, they were taking far too long._

_ "Hey listen Erza," Leo said as he gazed towards the entrance, "I'm going to go look for them will you two be all right?" Erza turned to him, with concern in her eyes. Mira gazed at him to and to his surprise she was worried just as much as Erza was. Both Erza and Mira nodded at him._

_ With that he left jogging towards the gates passing by the crowd of bystanders who were just returning to their seats after the break. He dodged and weaved his way through until he finally reached the gate. Once he was past there it was a straight shot down the road. He knew the way to the pier and he just knew that it was not only quickest way but it was definitely the way Jellal and Mest would have taken._

_ As he ran down the road he eventually came to a road that led to the pier. On his way he saw a group of boy coming towards him wearing all black, including four that were wearing black ski masks. The one in the front of the others wasn't wearing a ski mask. He looked familiar but Leo couldn't make out the face from the distance in the dark. He could hear them laughing as they ran towards him._

_ He wondered who they were but he didn't care he was just interested in finding Jellal. He kept running anyways, he didn't have time to stop and wonder who they were. But as he ran by his eyes fell on the lead boy, the one without the mask. It was Damian. His eyes locked onto the other boys as he carried a wide smirk with him. Neither of them stopped as Damian and the other boys continued to run down the street. Leo's heart began to quicken as he went to a full on sprint down the road._

_ It wasn't long when he came upon two bodies lying on the street. The light was poor that they looked like two black figures laying in the snow. Leo's heart had completely stopped beating in his chest as his blood ran as cold as the snow. He breathed heavily as he felt a large weight fall onto his shoulders. "No," he panted as he ran towards the nearest body._

_ When he came upon the first body he saw that it was Mest. The snow around him was completely crimson red with blood as a large gash on the side of his head continued to bleed. "Shit oh no," Leo cried as he fell to his knees "Shit Mest, Mest," Leo wept as his body began to shake. His hands were quivering as tears rolled down his eyes. "No, no, no," he wept._

_ He could barely see it, but there was a little bit of warm foggy air escaping from Mest's nose. Though it was very faint Leo breathed a sigh of relief. He then ran towards the other boy sliding across the icy snow until he came upon the motionless boy. Jellel laid their flat on his stomach there was blood soaking the snow beneath him as well as his coat. Leo could see he was breathing and fortunately there were no blows to the head that he could see._

_ Leo didn't waste another second. He immediately pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-11. He sat there in the freezing snow his phone pressed against his ear. He tried as hard as he could to restrain the tears in his eyes, but he was choking them back. "Hello this is 9-11 what is your emergency?" he heard the operator ask on the other end of the phone._

_ "Yes I need an ambulance," Leo cried into the phone. His breath had all but left him. _

_ "And what is your location sir?" the operator asked._

_ "I'm at First and Jefferson on the pier," Leo yelled into the phone._

_ "And are you the one who's been injured sir?" the operator asked._

_ "No I'm not just please send the fucking ambulance!" Leo cried into the phone before hanging up. "God damn it," he began to sob uncontrollably. His stomach burned with a fierce pain to the point that he wanted to vomit. "Come on Jellal," he whispered through sobs, "you're going to be fine you hear me? You're going to be fine?"_

* * *

><p><em> Later that night Leo sat in the emergency room his mind was disoriented and he was still bewildered about what had happened that night. But what stuck in his mind the most was the wicked smirk. He wondered what Damian was doing there that night. He couldn't believe that it was Damian who did this to Jellal and Mest. He couldn't believe that his old friend could do something so horrible to two boys he used to be friends with. It wasn't possible and no matter how much his mind tried to deny it, Leo knew deep down in his heart it was true.<em>

_ His heart was torn and his mind was lost. He felt like he was going insane. But from what exactly he couldn't determine. Was it Damian's betrayal? Or was it how he found Jellal and Mest? Both of the boys lying there in the snow bleeding uncontrollably and for all he knew they could be dead right now in that room. He shook his head at the thought, the doctors would have told him by now if they were dead, unless of course they were trying to find a way to tell him._

_ Leo slapped himself. He had to get rid of the thought. It wasn't going to help him it was only going to make things worse. He sat there his head in his hands. It hurt, his head was aching and throbbing. He felt nauseated as he desperately fought to hold back the urge to vomit at that point. He was sick perhaps he belonged there in that hospital room along side the other two, but he was determined to hold it all back. If he felt this bad he couldn't imagine how Erza was going to react, but then again she didn't see what he saw._

_ He wondered to himself what exactly he was going to tell the girl when he saw her. If he was honest it could destroy her, but if he just told half of the truth would she become even more enraged and heartbroken when she did find out the truth? So many questions were buzzing through his mind like a hoard of wasps. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't even want to admit that any of this was real and he prayed that he would just wake up in his bed and realize this was all a horrible dream. He begged for it to be a dream, but he knew that it wasn't._

_ Leo sat there alone waiting for Erza and Mira to show up. The light was bright as it shined off the white and black checkerboard tiled floor. The only other person there was the stewardess working at the front counter. She paid the boy no attention since she was too busy talking on the phone._

_ Just then he heard the sound of the glass doors sliding open as both Erza and Mira ran inside. Leo stood up to greet them. Without a second's hesitation Erza sprinted up to him devastation filled her eyes. He could see the same look of devastation in Mira's eyes as well._

_ "Leo are they okay?" Erza asked her eyes began to burst into tears. Leo attempted to place a hand on Erza's shoulder but to his utter shock he saw Mira offer Erza a hug instead. The redhead girl said nothing as she just hugged the white haired girl back._

_ "I don't know," Leo sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "But it wasn't good. The were in pretty bad shape."_

_ Erza became even more depressed by the news as he could see the pain in her eyes. He felt horrible for telling her, but he knew that she had to know. Mira just seemed to hold onto Erza even tighter. The white haired girl was just as pain struck as Erza but she tried her best to comfort the red head. Leo couldn't stand to see Erza so shook up but he couldn't blame her. He thought of a way to try and make it better._

_ "Don't worry Erza," I'm sure they'll be fine. "Jellal and Mest have always been tough. They can survive anything."_

_ "What happened?" Erza asked quietly, though it more like a demand than a request. Her eyes were now a mixture of sadness and rage. They fell onto Leo, that hard glare that would normally make any man cringe, but with the pain in her eyes it wasn't nearly as threatening._

_ "I don't know," Leo said shaking his head. "I just found them lying in the snow bleeding with some pretty bad wounds. I don't know what happened or who did it."_

_ Leo cringed under his own lie. He had already thought it was Damian, once again the other boy's wicked smirk flashed in his mind. He wasn't certain it was Damian, but after everything tonight he just knew that it was not the right time to tell her that. Erza was already dealing with enough._

_ It was then that a doctor came through the doors walking directly towards them. He was a man roughly in his middle age with a balding head and a black goatee. His baby blue sprugs were covered with blood and his face looked serious. Leo didn't take that as a good sign, but he hoped for the best._

_ "Are you the boy who called about the other two who were beaten by the pier?" the doctor asked as he came to a stop in front of the three teens. His voice was rough and stale. He sounded droll making Leo fear for the worse. He didn't know what to say but simply nodded his head to give the doctor his answer._

_ "Well fortunately we were able to stabilize both of them and stop the bleeding," the doctor said calmly. Leo breathed a sigh of relief with Mira, but unfortunately Erza was not convinced by the doctors words. "However," the doctor continued. "They have sustained serious injuries including some internal bleeding and broken bones and ligaments."_

_ "How bad is it?" Erza blurted out. She pulled herself away from Mira who thought about holding her back but opted not to. She knew that Erza was serious as she peered at the doctor._

_ "I don't know," the doctor sighed shaking his head. "One of the boys has a fractured skull and he's going to need some intense treatment. He should be fine but he won't recover from it for a while. Fortunately there was no damage to the brain so but there was some blood that we needed to drain. Other than that he won't suffer any severe brain injuries."_

_ "That was Mest," Leo said before Erza had the chance to open her mouth. He already knew her question, and he wanted to give her an answer. She wasn't convinced at all though and she didn't show any sign of comfort from his words._

_ "What about the other boy?" Erza asked quietly._

_ "His back is severely damaged, some ruptures and tears in the muscles and some blood clot, other than that he should make a full recovery," the doctor assured her. "He suffered some internal bleeding but we were able to stop it just in time before anything serious happened. The boy is tough and he'll be fine," the doctor said offering her a smile. "We gave them some pain killers and medicine so they'll be fine. However, Mest may not be so lucky."_

_ "Well thank you," Erza sighed softly as she took a seat. She sighed leaning her forehead on her hand. She fought hard to control herself, to fight back the tears that were on the verge of coming out._

_Mira sat down right next to her taking the red haired girl's hand into her own. Leo was still surprised to see the two girls getting along, it bothered and disturbed him, but at the same time he was thankful. It was nice to see the two of them getting along for once, but it was too bad it came under such dire circumstances. He on the other hand turned his attention back to the doctor._

"_So how long do you expect them to be in here?" Leo asked him._

"_I don't know that," the doctor said shaking his head. "I don't know how long they'll be unconscious though. It could be a couple of days or it could be tomorrow. I would say that the Jellal boy should wake up by tomorrow if things go well, but I don't know about the other boy."_

"_How long do you think it will take for Mest to wake up?" Leo asked the doctor._

"_It may take days, maybe a week or two," the doctor sighed. "Like I said he didn't suffer any brain damage or any permanent brain injuries thankfully, but a fractured skull is still something that isn't to take likely. I think he should wake up eventually but I don't have an idea what to tell you about that."_

"_Thank you," Leo said nodding his head as the doctor returned it with one of his own. As the doctor turned around to walk away Leo took a seat next to Erza sighing as he did so._

"_If I ever find out whoever did this," Erza growled from underneath her hand, "I'm going to kill them."_

_Leo eyes' fell on her with worry. He could see that she was serious here eyes fell into a glare. Even Mira looked frightened at the gaze in Erza's eyes. She gazed up to Leo who nodded at her offering her a smile of reassurance. It didn't really quell her but he had never really seen either of them like this before. Erza was never one to get fueled with rage, and Mira was never one to show care or concern for anyone except her own siblings._

_Leo's gazed turned away from the two of them. The image of Damian flashed in his mind once again. 'If Damian was behind it then Erza won't be the one to kill him,' Leo thought to himself. 'I'll be the one that's going to kill him.'_

_Almost on cue he heard the sound of the glass doors sliding as Gildarts and Makarov walked inside. Gildarts saw the three teens and immediately made a bolt right to them._

"_Are you three okay?" he asked as he walked over to them. Leo stood up to greet his teacher and mentor as he could see the very stern look on his face._

_As soon as Gildarts was near him he pulled Leo in for a tight hug before looking down on the now crying Erza. Mira rubbed her hand and shoulder to calm her down. Gildarts wasn't pleased at all to see her so devastated. "What happened?" he demanded sternly._

"_I found Jellal and Mest lying in the snow by the pier," Leo told him._

"_I see," Gildarts said as he took a step back._

"_And what did the doctors say?" Makarov asked as he slowly walked up next to the other man. Leo peered down at him the old man was serious. _

"_They said they should be fine," Leo told them. "They suffered some serious injuries, but they should make a full recovery. Nothing fatal but they probably won't be well for a long time."_

"_I see," Makarov said scratching his chin. "Well I think I will go back and check on them then." Makarov began to make his way towards the entrance of the emergency room._

"_Excuse me sir," the desk clerk said standing up. Though she was still on the phone she pressed it against her shoulder. "You can't go back there. That is for patients and doctors only."_

"_Quiet brat," Makarov snapped as he continued to walk towards the door. The clerk was stunned by the sudden out burst. "I am the principal of Magnolia Academy and those are my students back there. They are my responsibility and so help me if you even try to stop me I will back hand you to next Christmas."_

"_Holy shit dude," Leo said as he raised his eyebrows. The clerk stood there in shock. Even Erza and Mira were surprised by the principal's sudden outburst. Gildarts just smiled as he watched as the principal disappeared behind the doors._

"_Well that's no big surprise," Gildarts chuckled as he crossed his arms across his chest. "There's no stopping the old man once he makes up his mind on something. By the way Leo," Gildarts said as he turned to the boy. "You and I need to have a serious talk."_


	38. Chapter 38

**_TODAY MY NEPHEW ELIOT WAS BORN!_**

"Oh hello Sean," Lucy said greeting her boy friend as he stood there in front of both her and Natsu. Lucy tired her best to force a smile but she found it difficult to do so. Natsu glowered at him he couldn't stand seeing him standing there in front of them. He had the worst timing of anyone he ever knew.

"Hey douche bag," Natsu said casually as he leaned back in his seat. Sean's glare turned to the pink haired boy as he crossed his arms over his chest. The two of them scowled at one another Lucy's eyes darting back and forth from one boy to the other.

"Lucy I think you and I need to talk," Sean grumbled as he placed his hands in his pockets. He turned to the blonde girl, but she didn't look any more thrilled to see Sean than Natsu was. Sean raised an eyebrow when he saw her frown but he stared at her expecting her to listen to him, but she stared back with an expression that told him that she refused to listen.

"Sean I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to talk to you until I was ready," Lucy muttered as her gazed fell away from him. Sean began to grow angry as he took a step forward closer to her. Lucy recoiled as he did so surprising both him and Natsu, however Sean appeared to grow even more and more frustrated with her.

"Yeah but I need to talk to you," Sean growled as he approached her. He reached out his had to grab her arm, but it was slapped away by Natsu as the pink haired boy immediately stood up and shoved Sean back stepping in between him and Lucy.

"Back off," Natsu threatened as he glared at Sean. The two of them were heated up even more now. Lucy began to grow even more concerned as she watched the two of them closely. "Don't touch her."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Sean growled as he took a step towards Natsu. Lucy saw Natsu as Natsu clenched his fist preparing himself for a fight. She became even more worried as she too stood up.

Sean's eyes fell on her. She said nothing but remained silent, her scowl was more than enough to express her emotions. Her eyes leered at the other boy, as he exchanged the glare with one of his own. Natsu snarled as he took a step closer to Sean. Now the boys were only inches away from the other making Lucy all the more uncomfortable.

Lucy said nothing but instead she just walked away. Not a word was muttered to either boy. Sean watched her walk away he even attempted to follow her, but was quickly stopped as Natsu stepped in front of him. Sean scowled at the pink haired boy as his eyes fell on Lucy as she continued to walk away. He felt like he should push the boy out of the way, but perhaps it was not wise for him to provoke Natsu.

"Get out of my way," Sean snapped as he attempted to pass by him. Natsu stepped in front of him once again shaking his head. "I said get out of my way!" Sean roared as he reached his hand out to shove Natsu. He didn't care what Natsu did at this pint he was just more focused on getting to Lucy.

"You're not getting anywhere near her," Natsu threatened as he grabbed Sean's hand and shoved the boy backwards.

"I thought I told you to stay away from her!" Sean growled.

"At this point I don't really care," Natsu said to him. "I don't know what you said or what you did to upset her, but you aren't going anywhere near her."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Sean growled as he stepped closer to Natsu. The two of them were even closer now. Their eyes were locked Sean was practically seething at this time. His eyes darted behind Natsu, but by now the girl had disappeared into the dorms.

"It doesn't matter who I think I am," Natsu told him as he folded his arms across his chest. "What matters is that I know who you are."

"Lucy is my girlfriend," Sean growled. "She's mine! Why don't you go off and find your own bitch? Or do I have to get my brother to kick your ass again?"

Natsu's eyes shot up. The image of Damian's face flashed in his mind's eye as he became infuriated. Did he just hear Sean right? He didn't know what angered him even more, that he called Lucy a bitch or that he just threatened to mention his brother. He clenched his fist, but it took a great deal of strength for him to hold back. He wanted so badly to punch Sean out right there and then but he knew he couldn't. He was so inclined to do it but if it was Sean than it would only be that much more worse of him in the long run.

"Get it through your thick skull that Lucy is mine. She will always be mine and if you go near her anymore I swear that I will have my brother destroy like he did last time. Don't think I won't. I thought you would've learned your lesson after last time, but it appears that you're way to slow to even grasp where you're not wanted!" Sean snarled as he attempted to walk by Natus.

Just then Natsu had no idea what over took him but without even a second's hesitation he upper cut the boy square in the jaw sending him hurting backwards. Sean was stunned as he felt his teeth smack together so tightly that they even chipped as his glasses flew from his nose. The boy tumbled into the snow clenching his jaw. Blood began to flow slowly from the side of his lip as his glare fell on the pink haired boy.

Natsu stood there tall over the other boy. He folded his arms back across his chest as the leered down at him. He wasn't even so much as fazed by what he had done. In fact he actually felt a little joy lighten up his heart as he stared down at the other boy. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to pursue the fight but he didn't. Sean didn't even say anything he just rubbed the blood from his lips as he stood up.

"You're going to pay for that," he said calmly as he walked over to where his glasses were lying. He gently wiped away the snow that covered them before placing them back on his face.

"Yeah well I'm looking forward to that," Natsu said as he watched the other boy. "What are you going to do tell your brother on me?" Natsu smirked. "Cause believe you me I definitely look forward to any fights your brother starts. Cause this time I'll gladly pay him back for what he did to me that night."

"Well I just wonder what Dr. Makarov and Mr. Clive would say about that?" Sean chuckled. Natsu's demeanor became that much more serious. He knew that they wouldn't want them to know, especially if Mr. Clive found out.

"I wonder what they'll say when they find out that you were the one that initiated the fight?" Leo said as he walked towards them.

Leo hadn't seen what had happened initially. He had just come from the main school building when he saw Natsu punch Sean. He didn't know what had compelled Natsu to do it, but he wasn't about to let Sean get away with anything. He kind of liked seeing Sean get laid out. He wished he had initially been the one to punch him out but he figured having someone else do it was just as satisfying.

"What do you mean Natsu punched me," Sean said as leered at the older boy.

"That's not what I saw," Leo said casually as he came to a halt. He was on a few feet away from Sean now he kept his hands in his pockets as his eyes became completely focused on Sean. "From what I saw you hit Natsu and he shoved you off of him to stop you from becoming to violent. In my opinion that's a clear cut case of self defense."

"That's bull shit and you know it!" Sean cried. "You clearly saw him hit me and me alone!"

"Yes but I'm a prefect if didn't forget," Leo said calmly patting his badge. "If I remember correctly that means that I have more authority than you. And I'm pretty sure that Mr. Clive likes me more than you and trusts me more."

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief before a wide grin crossed his face. Sean became enraged at that point. His eyes fell back on the pink haired boy as it only made him that much more livid. Leo kept his face stern as his eyes remained focused on the boy in front of him.

"Fine," Sean grumbled in defeat. "But I won't forget this."

"I'm counting on it," Leo said coolly.

Sean didn't utter another word but instead made his way quietly towards the boy's dorm. Leo and Natsu both watched him as he left. Like hawks neither of them took their eyes off of him until he was a good distance away.

"Thanks Leo," Natsu breathed heavily as he turned to the orange haired boy.

"No problem," Leo said grinning at him. "I just wish that it had been me who was the one to deck him. How'd it feel by the way?"

"It felt great," Natsu laughed. "Oh man I've waited far to long to do that!"

* * *

><p>It had been a long time, maybe too long. Jellal walked down the pier towards the beach. Everything had changed so much and yet so little. It was the same old Magnolia as he always remembered but something about it was just so different. The building looked the same except for a few new paint jobs on some and the peeling of paint on the others.<p>

He stood there alone on the snow covered dock gazing out into the still sea. The sun hung elegantly above the horizon nestled softly on his thrown of clouds gazing over the rest of the Earth. Jellal allowed it himself to be bathed in the sun's rays. He felt comfortable though he was still haunted from the memory of that night. Like a shadow of a cloud that loomed in the back of his mind constantly resurfacing every time he touched or looked at the physical and emotional scars.

He took in a deep breathe of the fresh salty sea air. It was refreshing. He stood there wearing his long black trench coat as he pulled it in closer to him to keep some warmth. Though surprisingly it wasn't that cold of a day, especially with the sun shining brightly in the pale blue sky. He turned around to walk away when he caught sight of a familiar face that he would much rather not have seen.

"Hello Jellal," Damian said as he stepped forward. He was alone wearing a long tan coat over what appeared to be a suit. It wasn't like him to dress so formally, at least not that Jellal could remember. "How have you been these past two years?"

"Fuck you Damian," Jellal growled as he began to walk away. He scowled deeply at the boy across from him. His heart burst with hatred and malice rose to his eyes. He held back his urge to completely throttle the boy in front of him, but he knew that he wouldn't have the ability to do so. Damian was someone who actually knew how to fight, while he was more passive.

"Now is that any way to greet an old friend?" Damian asked skeptically.

"Fuck you," Jellal cursed. "Fuck you to hell you cock sucking son of a bitch!" Jellal couldn't control his anger, but he still held himself back since he still did not want to start a fight.

"Wow someone's angry," Damian laughed. "I don't see what you're so upset about?"

"You know exactly why," Jellal growled as he began to walk away from Damian, though he still kept his eyes focused on him. "For what you did that night. For what you did to me and especially for what you did to Mest."

"Oh how is Mest?" Damian asked casually.

"He had to go through months of rehabilitation just to walk again thanks to you," Jellal snarled. "You have no idea what you did to him, what you did to me? You could've killed us you insane fuck."

Damian just smirked at him raising his eyebrows. "He should've known what happens when he crossed me," Damian said threateningly. "You were just a misfortunate casualty. It was nothing personal . . . wait what I am saying?" Damian said jokingly as he patted the back of his head. "Of course it was."

"You son of a bitch," Jellal snapped. "You did more than just ruin my life that night. You took away Erza's gift!"

"Gift?" Damian asked confused. "What gift?"

'The locket!" Jellal cried. "The locket you stole from me that night! I want it back!"

"Locket?" Damian said thinking about tit. He rubbed his chin as he thought about it some more. "Oh you mean this?" Damian asked as he pulled a gold chain from an inner pocket in his coat. Jellal's eyes shot up as soon as he saw the gold chain. "This little thing is what's got you so worked up? I hardly see why."

"Give it to me," Jellal demanded as he stretched out his hand. "Give it to me now!"

"No," Damian said as he placed it back in his pocket. "You see I really like this thing and I've grown quite fond of it over the past two years especially the little picture of you and Erza. You two were so adorable when you were kids you know that?"

"Why do you even have it still?" Jellal growled. "What good does it serve you?"

"I heard that you came back into town," Damian said. "I figured that it would be a good trinket to keep around for memories sake. Though I was thinking of replacing the picture of you and Erza with one of the naked pictures I have of her."

Jellal's eyes went wide with anger. He ran towards the other boy full throttle. His sanity had left him the only thing he knew now was that he wanted to completely destroy Damian at that moment. He didn't care what the consequences were he didn't care if Damian beat him to a pulp as badly as he did last time. All Jellal cared about was dashing towards Damian to deliver a blow he had held back for two years.

"Not smart," Damian chuckled as he took a step back.

Jellal threw his punch with all his might but Damian easily avoided it. He swung his leg for a side kick of his own but to his shock Jellal raised his elbow to block it. While Damian was caught off guard Jellal brought his fist up for a quick upper cut nailing Damian in the left cheek knocking the boy over, but not into the snow. He stumbled as Jellal grabbed him by the scruff of his suit and brought up his fist for another punch. Damian burst into laughter as Jellal punched him again and again. Blood began to pour from Damian's nose.

Jellal was consumed with rage as he brought his fist back for another punch. Just then Damian leapt up wrapping his legs around Jellal's body as he fell backwards. As he did so Damian rolled in the snow allowing his body to be positioned on top of Jellal. It was there that he had him.

Jellal would not be outdone he would not permit Damian to get the upper hand on him not now, not ever again. He rolled to his side bumping Damian off from a top of him. Damian stumbled off of him as he tried to regain his footing. Jellal took the opportunity to swing his legs toward him in an attempt to trip him but Damian managed to leap just in time to avoid the kick.

"Well that was fun," Damian said as he began to take a few steps back from Jellal while the other boy picked himself up. "But I really must try to not get my suit all dirty. I still have a meeting to go to.'"

"You're not going anywhere until I get my locket back,' Jellal yelled as he rushed towards Damian, but soon came to a stop as he saw four more boys appear from what appeared out of nowhere. One of them he knew to be Zancrow and the other two were his close friends.

"Now I think it is best that we stop this whole nonsense don't you?" Damian said as he scrapped off some residing snow on his coat. "We don't want one of us winding up getting hurt . . . again. Do we?"

Jellal just growled as he spat in Damian's direction. He said nothing but only made his way down the pier and as far away as he could get from them. His heart was still full of rage and hate as he felt the cold hard stares of the other boy's eyes on him. It made him feel sick and even more so when he thought about how Damian was now in possession of his gift to Erza.

"Oh and don't worry Jellal," Damian called out to him. "I'll be sure to take good care of Erza's locket."

Jellal cringed as he heard those words. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he quickened his pace. Now he didn't know what to feel. His mind and heart were a flurry of hate and sorrow. He wondered how he would ever be able to face Erza again. That was the real reason he knew he was so upset. The beatings and the taunting were bad enough, but the one thing he could never forgive Sean for was taking him away from Erza.

**A/N: SORRY FOR THE WAIT GUYS. NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF THE WINTER BREAK. JUST TRYING TO GET SOME THINGS SETTLED IN THIS CHAPTER RIGHT NOW. I KNOW IT'S NOT INCREDIBLY EXCITING BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT ANYWAYS!**


	39. Chapter 39

It was late in December and Christmas that was only about a week away. Natsu and Gajeel made their way to the front school gate. They were planning on meeting their fathers there to go out to dinner. Igneel and Metalicana were there waiting for them to take them out to dinner. However, when the boys arrived at the gates they were pleasantly surprised to see that their fathers were not alone. Natsu grinned widely as he saw Lucy standing there talking to his father Igneel. Gajeel on the other hand was a little happy to see his normal friends; Gray, Juvia, Leo and the rest however he was grim to see Levy, Jet and Droy were also there. To his even biggest displeasure was seeing Levy talk to Metalicana, though it appeared odd to him that she had a soft smile on her as she did.

Igneel was the first to see the two boys walking towards the rest of the group. He smiled at them and offered them a wave to which Natsu waved back. However, Gajeel was in more of a slump from the sight of the short girl. Lucy saw as Igneel waved to turn and see Natsu as well. Just then her eyes met with Natsu's as she offered him a smile to which he grinned widely.

"Hey Natsu, Gajeel!" Leo called out to them offering a wave. He chuckled as he jumped in the air. He seemed a little too energetic to see them, but then again it was Leo acting like his normal self.

Everyone else turned as well. They had all shown up. Erza stood at the far end of the others with Cana and Mira, like they normally did. Lisanna was there next to her sister as her brother stood there quietly with his arms folded over his chest scowling all the while. The girls were busy talking amongst themselves giggling all the while, which was clear to anyone that it was annoying Elfman, but he kept his mouth shut. They didn't notice Natsu or Gajeel, they were too busy with their own conversation.

"Sup guys," Natsu said as soon as he walked up to the group. He grin was primarily focused on Lucy who seemed to blush a little when he did so. Natsu seemed to blush too when looking at her, as Lucy's eyes fell from him onto the ground.

Natsu didn't notice his father's eyes darted back and forth between him and Lucy. The old man raised on eyebrow as a small smile crossed his face. He chuckled to himself as he watched the two youngsters. He was happy to see his son so cheerful and smiling again. It was like when he was just a small boy. Though now it seemed like the friendship he saw between the two of them had blossomed into something more.

On the other side Gajeel approached his father Metalicana though he looked gloomy. Levy stood nearby as she scoffed at him before turning away in disgust. The motion caused the boy to feel even lower than he already did as he grumbled to himself. Metalicana had his eyes gaze from the small girl back to the boy. Some confusion arose within him as he wondered what the whole ordeal was about, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Juvia stood close by in between Metalicana and Igneel, holding onto gray's arm. He didn't seem to mind it all that much, in fact it almost seemed like he welcomed it. He had warmed up to the girl over the course of time they've known each other, but he still stood there in silence. It wasn't like him to get too excited or to be too talkative anyways. Juvia didn't say anything either, she just listened to what everyone else was saying, and as long as she was near Gray she had nothing to complain about.

Jet and Droy stepped between Gajeel and Levy both of them holding their glares at him. Gajeel hardly even noticed as the stepped towards his father. Metalicana was as even more puzzled by what was going on now. 'Teenagers,' he thought to himself as he shook his head.

"Well now that everyone is here should we get ready to leave?" Igneel asked as he placed his hands inside his coat pocket.

"I am," Gray answered, Juvia nodding in agreement.

"I am too," Levy said energetically. Her scowl just disappeared from her as she jumped into the air with a beaming smile. Jet and Droy seemed to have returned to their somewhat cheery selves too. Gajeel just grumbled as he made his way over to his father's car without uttering a word.

"Yeah we're ready," Cana said from the group of girls plus Elfman. The big boy still appeared to be a little displeased, but he just nodded along with them. "But we're waiting for my dad to come pick us up."

"Gildarts?" Natsu said out loud. He didn't know that he would be joining them. Then again he didn't think that everyone was going to be joining them for the night. That was a bit of a shock, but he noticed that Igneel didn't seem to mind at all. Actually the old man looked like he knew about it ahead of time.

"Yeah it was the old man's idea," Igneel told him smiling. "When I told him that we were going out for dinner tonight with you and your friends he said that he planned on doing the same with his daughter, so we all decided to just go together in one big group."

"I see," Natsu said as he looked around. He could see that Gajeel wasn't exactly thrilled, but he knew that might have to do with Levy and the others.

Natsu sighed wondering whether or not the night would go well, but just then Lucy grabbed his hand. He gazed at her his face blushing as she smiled at him. It reminded him of when they were little, how she used to hold his hand like that. She pulled him towards the car as memories flooded through his mind. He remembered that grip all to well only it had been five years since he last felt it. He remembered the day they got ice cream from so long ago.

* * *

><p>Later that night everyone met up at a restaranut near the pier. It wasn't fancy it surely wasn't exquisite by any means. It looked like a typical run down sea food joint. It wasn't too bad the tables were covered with white silk table clothes and decorated with white with silver lining china. Above each table were small chandeliers made of glass and gold chains.<p>

With the holidays fast approaching the restaurant was decorated with Christmas decorations and even a Christmas tree off in the far corner with ornaments and multicolored lights. Presents sat underneath it. Stocking hung all around on the walls and pictures of Santa and even menorahs.

Everyone sat down at a large table centered in the middle of the restaurant. Natsu remembered this place from when he was a kid. Not because he ate there but because it was situated right by the hill they children used to play at. The entrance doors were made of glass with large windows next to it that allowed patrons to see the beach while they dined. He could see that large lump of sand still sitting out there with that same old palm tree residing over it. He made sure that when he took his seat he would be able to look out there and see it.

Natsu, Gajeel, Metalicana, Igneel, Lucy and Gildarts sat at one end of the table while everyone else sat in the middle while Gray sat with Juvia at the other end. Everyone talked to the people around them, Natsu mainly with his father, but his eyes often wondered to Lucy, and her eyes to him. It seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves and having a good time. People were laughing and even though Gajeel was in his old frustrated mood, as long as he didn't say anything to Levy it was still peaceful.

Natsu could see Lisanna's eyes fall on him as she appeared to be a little more frustrated. He didn't understand why. He wondered if she was upset with him. But he didn't know what he had done to possibly upset her. He thought back about it, but he hadn't really said or done anything with Lisanna for a while. Maybe it was because he hadn't done anything with her that she was so upset with him.

"So Lucy," Mira asked since she was sitting next to the blonde girl. "What's going on between you and Sean?"

Lucy frowned as she scolded the white haired girl. Mira had no idea what she had said but she could tell Lucy looked offended. Erza and everyone else except Leo and Natsu were just as confused. Leo and Natsu exchanged glances secretively. It wasn't difficult since the two of them were sitting right next to each other, but they both knew. Lucy said nothing but turned her attention back to her plate.

"I'm sorry did I say something wrong?" Mira asked apologetically.

"No," Lucy sighed. She still didn't look at the white haired girl. "It's jus that Sean and I—" she struggled to find the right words. But what words were there for her to say? She was pissed at Sean and she felt like their relationship was over at that point. She didn't know for sure. She didn't want to say it and then wind up forgiving him. Though she wondered if she could forgive him. She didn't want anything to do with his brother, that much she knew, and from what she had seen recently she began to think that Sean was more like his brother than she wanted. "It's complicated." She finally answered.

Natsu and Leo looked at each other both skeptical about the girl's feelings. They both knew about Sean and neither of them wanted to see Lucy back with him for her sake. Igneel caught the two of them glancing at each other from the corner of his eye. He could see the expressions on their faces as he too became worried. He didn't know who this "Sean" boy was, but he knew that it couldn't be good.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that," Mira said sadly.

"Yeah was it something he said or did?" Lisanna asked. Natsu and Leo both sent her glares or warning, but she didn't see them. Her eyes were focused on Lucy as the girl became much more gloomy than she had before.

"I don't want to talk about it?" Lucy said quietly.

"Lucy are you sure you're okay?" Erza asked leaning over Mira.

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Lucy snapped as she stood up. Everyone was a little shocked to see her act in such a way. "I'm sorry," she said softly as her eyes fell to the ground. "Please excuse me."

With that Lucy made a wild dash to the restaurant door grabbing her coat along the way. No one said anything or did anything. Levy stood up to follow her but was immediately grabbed by Gray. "Let her go," Gray said. "She wants to be alone."

Levy sighed as she sat down in compliance. Natsu wasn't happy and he wanted to chase after her too, but he didn't know if that was the right thing.

"You should go talk to her," Leo whispered to him.

"Why me?" Natsu asked.

"Because this is about you," Leo said. "You know what she's going through. You should comfort her. And anyways this is your big chance to swoop in there and sweep her off her feet." Leo said the last sentence jokingly, but Natsu could see that he was still somewhat serious about it.

Natsu nodded his head as he stood up to leave. Everyone watched him and even though there was some protest coming from his friends he didn't let that deter him. He made his way to the door and followed Lucy out into the night. He lost sight of her but he knew exactly where she would have gone as he began to run.

Lucy sat there on that sandy hill over looking the now black sea. It was covered in snow and the water was still except for the sound of small waves crushing against sand, ice and snow. She hugged her knees to her chest as she continued to stare out into the blackness. The water was completely dark except for the light of the moon shining on its surface. She liked this spot, it had always been settling to her and it had always been a place of comfort for her since she was a child. She rested her back up against the tree. It seemed so much bigger when she was a kid, but now it seemed so small.

"Hey Lucy," she heard a familiar voice say. She turned to see Natsu standing behind her.

"Hey Natsu," she said gently as she offered him a friendly smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Natsu said as he took a seat next to her. "You just up and left so abruptly I became concerned."

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I just became so angry all of a sudden."

"I'm sorry too," Natsu said. "I know you've had it difficult these past couple of weeks. But you know you can talk to me about anything. So please if there's something that you need to get off you chest, just tell me."

"Okay," Lucy said. "You know that I'm angry with Sean. Then again it's not exactly a secret now."

"Yep he guys a total creep," Natsu said. His heart jumped as he thought he might have offended her. Not that he wasn't telling the truth but he didn't want to hurt her or make her feel any worse than she already did.

"I know," Lucy said. "But I don't know what to do," Lucy said as tears began to pour from her eyes. Natus was shocked to see her crying as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in closely to comfort her. "I don't want to be with him anymore! I didn't want to be with him in the first place, but my father forced me to."

"Really?" Natsu asked quietly as he rubbed her shoulder.

"I thought I could get along with Sean at first, and I thought maybe it could work out. He seemed like a nice guy but I soon realized just what a jerk he really is." Lucy continued to cry. She sobbed as she barreled her face into Natsu's chest. Natsu in turn pulled her tighter as he hugged her. He let her sob into his chest letting her cry it all out. "And then I became even more confused since you came back into my life."

"What?" Natsu asked.

"Ever since you came back I've been confused," Lucy sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore. Every time I'm around you I feel . . . safe and happy. I don't want to be with Sean anymore, I want to be with you."

Natsu's widened as he heard her words, but Lucy didn't even notice what she had just said. The boy's heart raced as he stared at her. She could hear the insanity of the beats causing her to look up at him. Her eyes were soft and a slight pink from the tears, her face still moist from crying. He caressed her cheeks softly as their eyes met.

"Lucy I . . ." he didn't have time to finish as he saw the blonde slowly moving towards him. He blushed furiously as he felt his heart beat in swifter now. He followed her motion as their lips touched together.

It was soft as Natsu's heart continued to race. Lucy pushed herself deeper and deeper into him as she wrapped her hands around his shoulders. Natsu pulled her in as his hand continued to rub against her cheek. It was passionate as seconds felt like years, but he enjoyed each and every moment of it. Soon the two broke, their eyes still locked together their faces a scarlet red. Lucy and Natsu smiled at each other. She bit her lip as Natsu brought himself in for another kiss, this time it was more passionate as the brought each other together so closely that Natsu nearly toppled over her.

When they broke again Natsu offered her a wide grin as Lucy nestled herself in his chest as he pulled off his coat and wrapped his it around her and himself. She smiled softly as she closed her eyes. He rested his head on top of hers as the two of them sat there in silence. Only the sounds of the waves could be heard. Soon Natsu could hear the sound of Lucy breathing softly as he realized that she had fallen asleep.

Natsu smiled to himself as he kissed her on top of her head, causing her to twitch just a little bit. "I love you Lucy," he whispered to her.

His eyes grew heavy as sleep began to take him. He couldn't fight it wasn't long before Natsu found himself asleep as he kept Lucy cradled in his arms. It had been a long time since he was this happy, though he didn't know of a time where he was ever this happy before. He didn't care he just wished above all other things that this wasn't a dream.

"I love you Lucy," Natsu whispered one last time as sleep took him.


	40. Chapter 40

The winter air was still chilly but Zancrow enjoyed it none-the-less. He enjoyed the peace of the town, being alone, isolated from everyone else. He sat outside a dinner up in the inner city. It was run down area, the outside of the dinner was covered in mold and brown spots. Out front were a couple of wooden tables that were decaying and pieces were actually missing.

Zancrow sat on the bench smoking a cigarette leaning backwards. He had his arms outstretched as he gazed up to the cloudy grey sky. The sky was completely grey like a blanket of billowy blanket. He didn't know what time of the day it was. It was dark because the sun was veiled by the clouds, but there was still enough sunlight to give the impression of the day.

Zancrow took another drag of his cigarette and breathed it out. He wanted to be alone that day, not to be bothered with anyone else's problems, which he always seemed to get whenever he was with his group of friends. There was no one around, and hardly anyone ever came by this particular diner. But who could blame anyone for not wanting to eat there? The place was so run down and the chiefs were just as terrible looking as the building itself. He felt like he was getting chlamydia just sitting in front of it, he couldn't guess what he'd get if he actually went inside.

As he sat there he could hear the sound of footstep approaching, the snow crunching just beneath their feet. He chuckled wondering what kind of idiots would actually be stupid enough to eat at this joint. Heck he often wondered how the place even managed to stay in business, he never saw a single person eat there. But as he chuckled he heard the footsteps come to a stop as two shadows loomed over him.

"Hey there Zancrow," he heard a voice say. The boy moaned in displeasure as he heard the his name.

"Officers Macao and Wakaba," Zancrow said with a bad taste in his mouth. "What can I do for you two?" He didn't even have to look, he recognized the voices almost instantly.

"Well Zancrow for one you can put out that cigarette," Macao said as he and his partner walked around the table. "After all I do think that you're too young to be smoking anyways."

"Fine," Zancrow scoffed as he pulled the cigarette out and doused in some snow on the table. "So what brings you two here to bother me on such a fine day?"

"Well we got an anonymous tip that there was supposed to be a drug deal going on down. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that do you?"

The two police officers were standing in front of him now. The were a couple of middle aged men, but didn't look too old. The one Zancrow knew as Macao was a man of average height with black hair that he kept neatly cut and a broad, thick mustache nestled under his nose. His partner was taller, but thinner. Bony structure with a long mossy chestnut beard and dark eyes that he kept concealed behind a pair of sunglasses. Both officers wore their uniforms along with the standard hats to show that they were on duty.

"Now officers why on Earth would I know anything about that?" Zancrow said as he leaned forward. He glared at the cops his eyes darting from one cop to the other. He watched as Wakaba lit a old wooden pipe as while the man took a few deep breaths.

"Because you're always getting yourself into trouble," Macao said as he placed a foot on the bench and leaned closer to Zancrow. The boy cringed he could smell the man's wretched breathe. Something with garlic or onions but the boy just wanted to throw up. Macao leered at him closely, "And somehow you're always getting out of it. How is that?"

"I don't know," Zancrow shrugged. "I guess because I'm innocent?"

"Or it's because Konstantine's lawyers keep helping you," Wakaba said as he exhaled some smoke. "Funny. Why would a big time industrialist like Konstantine have his lawyers defend you in court like they did for your last drug charge?"

"Some lawyers like to work pro-bono," Zancrow said as he leaned back in his seat again. "I don't know what to say. I guess I'm just a guy that people take a liking to you know?"

"Or it could be that you have some connections to the Konstintine family," Wakaba said before placing the pipe back in his mouth. "And I think we all already know what exactly those connections are don't we?"

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about?" Zancrow chuckled as he smirked at them.

"Oh I think you do," Macao said as he grabbed Zancrow by the collar of his jacket.

"What the hell man?" Zancrow yelled as he attempted to pry himself away from the officer. Macao reached into his jacket and pulled out a small dime bag full of a white powder substance.

"Well, well what do we have here?" Macao said as he raised the bag up. Zancrow tried to snatch it away as quickly as he could but Macao managed to throw it over to his partner before he even had a chance.

Once Wakaba caught it he opened up the small little bag and took out a little bit on his finger. He licked it as his eyebrow went up instantly as he grinned over at Macao. "Yep that's cocaine all right," Wakaba said as he placed the bag in his pocket. "Looks like you're in a whole mess of trouble there Zancrow."

"Yeah right," Zancrow scoffed as he sat back and rubbed his nose. He looked away. He tried to keep his cool, but the truth was he knew he was in trouble and he could feel his heart raced as he grew far too nervous. He began to sweat profusely despite the cold, and even Macao was able to see that. "You didn't have a warrant to search me, nor did you follow proper police procedure, so I'll be able to get off scot free anyways."

"Is that so?" Macao laughed. "Well seeing as how you were a minor in possession of a cigarette, that gave us probable cause to search your person to insure that you weren't carrying any others."

Zancrow's eyes fell on the now unlit cigarette lying in the snow on the table. His eyes went wide as his heart began to beat even faster. He began to panic he didn't know what to do. He planned on running but he knew it would be fruitless. Maybe Damian could get him out of another pickle like he had done before, but he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that he was in serious trouble.

"And since we already had a tip from someone near the area about a drug deal going down it's pretty obvious that you were selling cocaine eh?" Macao said as he grabbed and picked Zancrow up by the collar. He held the boy in the air while Wakaba reached in and managed to pull out about half a dozen or so more bags of cocaine. "Well what do you know?"

"You're in trouble Zancrow," Wakaba laughed shaking his head. He had a wide smile on him. "You know what the punishment is for selling cocaine?" Zancrow just shook his head.

"It's five year **minimum** in prison Zancrow," Macao said. "And seeing as how this isn't your first offense I think it's based on what again Wakaba?"

"It's five years per bag Macao," Wakaba grinned. "So let's see we have six bags here, including the one that you took off him earlier that's seven."

"That's thirty-five years in prison for you Zancrow," Macao said as he could see the fear and panic worsen in the boy's eyes.

"But I'm still a minor," the boy gasped.

"Doesn't matter," Wakaba said. "This is a felony and you've already gotten in trouble before for being in possession of drugs. So you don't have the alimony of pledging yourself as a minor. Not that it matters since you'll be sent to prison anyways once you're eighteen."

"I would really love to see your buddy's lawyers get you out of this one Zancrow," Macao taunted. "You're going in for a long time."

"All right, all right," Zancrow said nervously. "What do you want me to do?"

"You see even if we were to lock you away like you deserve," Wakaba interjected, "that would only take one more punk kid off the street. It wouldn't solve the problems that we need to be solved."

"So you want me to give you the name of the guy that I've been getting my drugs from?" Zancrow asked. He hoped that he could somehow find away out it this. He didn't care how, or what he had to do.

"Don't worry we already know who that is," Wakaba said as he patted his pipe on his forearm dumping ash onto the snow.

"What we want is Konstantine," Macao said. "We know that he has been behind many of attacks that have taken place in the past couple of years. We know that he has tie in's with you and we want to know what it is. We're tired of him and his family getting away with shit. If you help us crack down on the little shit than we'll reconsider your punishment."

"Who knows," Wakaba said re-lighting his pipe. "Maybe we'll forget that this little meeting ever took place if you give us Damian."

Zancrow took a deep gulp. He was lost and confused. He didn't know what he should do. He wasn't a snitch and he didn't want to sell out any of his friends, especially Damian. Not that he was a "loyal" friend, but because he knew the power that the Konstantine's had. If they ever found out that he had betrayed them, than maybe a few decades in prison was the better option. He didn't know what to do.

"Listen Zancrow I wouldn't mind taking your ass down to the station now and throwing your worthless ass in jail right now," Macao said as his grip tightened around the boy's collar. "But this is an order that is coming from some place higher up so I'm going to have to listen to my orders. It's your choice either way. Give us what we want and we'll give you what you want, or you can rot away behind bars upstate somewhere, it's up to you. Either way we win in this situation."

"All right, all right," Zancrow said holding up his hands. "What do you want me to tell you?"

"Well since Damian already got off the charges for his fight two years ago and since we can't take him back to court for that fight that happened a few months ago. Now we can't get him for what happened then, but we know that he'll be up to something else. When he does do something illegal you're going to let us know is that clear?"

"Okay," Zancrow said nervously. "I'll do it just let me go."

"Good boy Zancrow," Macao said as he let go of the boy's collar. He then brushed his shoulder as he smirked. "That's the smartest thing you've ever said."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zancrow scoffed as he fixed his jacket. "Just don't tell nobody about this."

"Zancrow don't worry about it," Macao said as he patted the boy on the shoulder. "You'll be fine, and don't worry about what happened today. I mean it will still be on record, but we can scratch it off as long as you continue to do your job like a good little boy."

With that the two police officers took their leave. Wakaba emptied his pipe on the ground before placing it back in his pocket. Macao motioned his head for the other man to follow him, which he did so without word. He just gave Zancrow a small two finger solute as he left. Zancrow glared at them as he saw them smirk. He was enraged, but he bit his lip, literally. He crossed his arms over his chest pretending to not be as nervous as he really was.

He waited until he heard the sound of the police car's engine turning on before he turned to face them. He watched as the car drove off down the street before making a turn and disappearing completely. The boy was still fuming.

"Shit!" He yelled as he slammed his fists into the table. He sat down rubbing his forehead in anxiety. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

* * *

><p>Natsu awoke as he felt someone poking him. His eyes flickered as his vision tried to clear his vision up. He could make out a dark figure crouched out in front of him. Again he felt his face being poked as he swatted away the hand that was doing it. He finally managed to make out that it was Leo was right there. He wondered if anyone else was around, but from the looks of it, it was just Leo.<p>

"Come on sleepy head," he heard Leo say. The boy smirked as he moved his hand up to poke him again. Natsu grabbed his finger right before Leo yanked it away. "Wake up. Everyone is waiting for you two back in the restaurant," Leo said as he stood up. "You better get moving otherwise you two will freeze out here."

"Fine," Natsu grumbled as he stretched his back. He then noticed that Lucy was still snuggling closely to him. He smiled as he stroked her hair. "Hey Lucy," he said softly in her ear. The girl stirred a little but she didn't wake up. "Hey Lucy," he said softly again as he kissed her right on her forehead. This time she did wake up.

When she did wake Lucy stretched her back and yawned. She smiled over at Natsu as she leaned in closer to him. He wrapped his arm around as she snuggled up against his shoulder. "Hey Lucy," he said again to her quietly.

"What is it?" she said quietly. "Are you going to tell me you love me again?" she giggled as Natsu's face flushed a bright crimson.

"I thought you were sleeping?" Natsu said embarrassed.

"I wasn't quite asleep yet," as she poked him in the nose. She then leaned over and gave him a light kiss. He kissed her back but it wasn't for long.

"Well unless you two want to start getting a little bit more sensual, in which case you would have to give me some time to go grab a camera I suggest that we head back to the restaurant now," Leo told them. Natsu had completely forgotten that Leo was standing right behind them.

Lucy jumped in place as she grasped at her heart. "How long have you been there?" she asked.

"Long enough," Leo told them as he smirked. Natsu sighed wanting to slap the boy though he was still sitting down and couldn't reach him. Leo began to walk away as Lucy and Natsu both stood up. The girl handed the coat back over to Natsu as he promptly put it back on.

Lucy stretched again as soon as she was up. As soon as Natsu had placed his coat back on his person he felt her supple hand clasp his. She grinned at him as she pulled him back towards the restaurant. It was just like when they were kids, he couldn't even say or do anything she just pulled him and lead the way. He didn't mind it too much though he just followed along. He stumbled behind her and nearly tripped as they went down the hill.

When they arrived at the front of the restaurant Lucy finally came to a stop, Natsu stumbling right behind her. She still held his hand firmly as she opened the door into the restaurant. To their surprise that the only people left were Igneel, Leo, Gajeel and Metalicana. The two of them exchanged looks before entering inside.

"Well look at the two of you," Igneel said grinning as he watched the two of them. "Don't you make a cute couple, is that what you've been doing this entire time?"

"Yeah but that's not all they were doing," Leo teased.

Both Natsu and Lucy's faces blushed a deep shade of scarlet at the remark. She smiled at him as he held her hand firmly in his. He didn't care either war, but he was just happy to be there with her in that moment.

"Well I'm happy for you two," Igneel said as he walked over to Natsu. "You two have always been happy together, I'm sure that you will make a great couple."

"Thanks," Lucy said lightly as she blushed a little bit.

"Well it's about freaken time," Leo joked. He walked over and patted Gajeel on the shoulder. The other boy gazed up at him wondering why Leo was coming over next to him. "You two have been such love sick puppies ever sine Natsu came back here. It was only a matter of time before you two became a couple. Plus I'm happy for you Lucy, now that you can dump that piece of shit Sean."

"Who?" Igneel asked raising an eyebrow. Natsu gazed over at Lucy with worry, but she didn't seem too concerned as he expected. In fact she just smiled which made him confused.

"He's no one," Lucy said smiling sweetly. "I don't think we'll have to worry about him."

Natsu watched as she pulled out her phone from her pocket. He raised his head upward to see what she was typing. He still held onto her hand as he did. Lucy could see his motion through her peripheral vision and giggled to herself. Natsu wanted to see but couldn't get a good enough angle to. As soon as she was done she placed the phone back in her pocket and smiled at the pink haired boy.

"What was that about?" Natsu asked raising an eyebrow.

"Oh I just sent a message to Sean," she said rubbing his cheek.

"What did it say?" Natsu asked intrigued.

"Just that it was over between us and that I'm sorry," Lucy giggled. Natsu's eyes went wide as he leaned in and kissed the blonde with joy. He lifted her up and spun around.

Igneel laughed as he turned to Metalicana. The old man was standing next to Leo and his foster son, and the two of them had the same expression of awkwardness. Leo shrugged as he chuckled. Igneel just smiled as he walked over to the two teens and gave them a hug.

"Now Gajeel about what happened tonight with Levi," Leo began to say but was immediately shut down by a cold glare from the other boy. Leo just smirked tauntingly at him and flicked his eyebrows. "Oh come on now Gajeel it wasn't so bad."

"Shut up," Gajeel snarled as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Well at least there's one happy couple," Leo said as he walked over to the others. "Aren't the holidays great?"

* * *

><p>Earlier that night after Natsu and Lucy disappeared everyone continued their regular conversation. Some of them became a little concerned about how long the two others were gone but no one said or did anything. Igneel sat there talking to Gildarts about Natsu's grades and how well he was doing in his mixed martial arts class.<p>

While everyone else was talking Gajeel took the opportunity to go to the restroom. He hated being around everyone else. It wasn't that he was anti-social, or yeah it was because he was a little anti-social, but it was mainly because he felt isolated from everyone. He sighed as he made his way down the tan walled hall. It was narrow making it accessible for one person as a row of window lined the outer wall.

As he made his way down the hall he heard the sound of a flushing toilet. There were only two doors, a men's and a woman's bathroom and right when he was within feet of passing the woman's bathroom Levy stepped out from it. He stopped right in front of her. The girl gasped in surprise as she nearly jumped in place.

"Gajeel," she exhaled as she placed her hand on her heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack." She peered at him, a stare that made him uncomfortable. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"Well I was going to go to the bathroom," Gajeel said pointing at the men's room. "So what's it to you."

"Well aren't you friendly as every," she scoffed rolling her eyes. "You can go to the men's room but first you could get out of my way."

"What?" Gajeel asked sounding offended. "You could be a little nice about it."

"Oh now you're concerned about people's feelings?" Levy said rolling her eyes again. Now Gajeel was both puzzled and angry.

"Look I don't know what I did to you and quite honestly I'm getting sick of your attitude," he snarled.

"Oh what are you going to do about it?" Levy said as she stepped closer towards him. "Don't think you can intimidate me because of my size."

"What you're smaller than me? I hadn't noticed," Gajeel said as he patted her on the head. She wasn't pleased, as she glared at him.

"Hey what are you two doing down here?" they heard a voice call out. Levy and Gajeel both looked to see Leo standing behind Gajeel. "Getting a little personal in the bathroom I see."

"Not even close," Levy scoffed as she folded her arms against her chest.

"Could have fooled me," Leo said shrugging. "I mean you two are standing underneath the mistletoe."

Both Gajeel and Levy both looked up and saw that they were standing underneath mistletoe. Gajeel wondered how he had missed as the girl was just as surprised as he was. Their eyes met as they were both equally uncomfortable. Levy flushed a little bit as she pushed herself by Gajeel and then by Leo, forcing her way out.

"Damn that's cold," Leo shaking his head. He turned to look at Gajeel a wide smirk on his face. "Don't worry bro I got you on this."

"What?" Gajeel asked, but it was too late Leo had already made his way back down the hall. "Leo what are you talking about? Leo!"

"Hey everyone," Leo said as soon as he appeared back in the dining room. He saw that Levy was about to take her seat her face still a little pink. "It appears that both Gajeel and Levy were seen underneath the mistletoe just now and unfortunately Levy left before the two of them had their chance to kiss."

Just then Levy's face went horror struck as she froze midway through her seating. Gajeel had just appeared from the hallway as well and he too was a little stunned by what Leo was doing.

"So what do you guys say?" Leo asked holding his arms out flicking his eyebrows. "You think these two should live up to the holiday spirit?"

"Do it!" Lisanna called from her chair giggling. Everyone except Jet and Droy chimed in as they cheered for Levy to get up and kiss the boy. She was stiff, frozen in place, her face as red as a cherry. She didn't know what to do. She buried her face in her hands with embarrassment.

"Come on Levy," Erza teased. "You got to do it."

"Come on Levy," Leo said from the other end.

Levy stood up without a word, her face still as scarlet as she had ever been. She made a quick walk over to Gajeel and without even looking at him, kissed him on the cheek before walking away. Gajeel was startled that she had actually done so, but the girl did it only to discourage the rest of the crowd. Unfortunately for her it wasn't enough to satisfy all of them.

"Ah come on," Leo exclaimed. "You know that doesn't count! Give the boy a real kiss.

Again the girl walked over, and stopped just in front of Gajeel. He didn't look down at her, his eyes wondered off to the side, but he blushed just as much as she did. The girl's eyes were completely focused on the floor like they had been the entire time. She bit her lip as her eyes looked up, at the same time his looked down at hers. For that moment they met. Both blushed feverishly as Gajeel felt his heart race. Though the crowd cheered for her to kiss him the world went silent, and in that moment it was just the two of them.

It was then that Levy raised herself up on her toes and brought her lips up to meet Gajeel's. They were soft and moist. Gajeel had never had lips as luscious as hers. She brought her hand up to his cheek as she gently pulled him into it. Her kiss was soft, and soon he found himself kissing her right back. But it didn't last long as the small girl pulled away after only a moment.

They were still red and the girl didn't even look at him. She turned away and made an immediate dash to the exit and disappeared into the night. Gajeel stood there still stunned by what had transpired. He shook his head as the sound of the world came roaring back on him. A hand grasped his shoulder as he blinked, coming back down to reality. He saw that the hand belonged to Leo, the boy had a wide grin on him.

"Well Gajeel," he said. "You were so bad you chased her away. Good job."

"Shut up," Gajeel snapped before returning to the table.

**A/N: Well looks like you all enjoyed the last chapter. Most of you knowing that it was about damn time. Well anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Not as good as I would hope in my opinion but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless. I also included the one moment many of you have been waiting for more than the kiss.**


	41. Chapter 41

Christmas time had come. It was Christmas Day and everyone was excited. For Natsu the past couple of weeks were like a dream that he hoped would never end. No school, no homework, he was with all his friends, and heck even Gajeel wasn't acting up too much. He was spending time with the people he cared for the most, especially Lucy. Now it was time for Christmas and he nothing but good things to look forward to.

That morning Natsu, Gajeel and Gray made their way out of the dorm to the main gate. The sky was cloudy covered with a blanket of grey. They weren't storm clouds and fortunately enough sun was shining through it to lighten up the scenery. The ground was incased with snow. Untouched, even the pathway was covered in the glistening frost. It was cold out but it was comfortable, not freezing as one might have thought. But above all other things it was peaceful.

Along the way they saw Erza, Lucy, Juvia and Levy walking towards them. They met up near the middle, yet Lucy broke away from the others as she sprinted up to Natsu before leaping into his arms. The poor boy nearly toppled over as he caught her, but was met with a kiss, something that he really didn't mind. Gray moaned as he rubbed his forehead while Gajeel just rolled his eyes. Levy giggled as she watched them.

"Well that was interesting," Natsu said grinning widely.

"Merry Christmas," Lucy giggled as she moved back in for another kiss.

"Geez get a room you two," Leo said as he approached everyone else. He kept his hands in his pocket and even though it was a cloudy day he still wore his sun glasses. Then again it wasn't like him to ever take the things off. He wore his school coat with his hands comfortably tucked into the outside pockets. Everyone was a little surprise as the orange haired boy seemed to just pop up out of nowhere. No one had even noticed that he had been walking towards them, then again they were probably distracted by the little love fest between Natsu and Lucy.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Natsu chuckled as he took Lucy's hand in his.

"It's just an expression there Romeo," Leo sighed but he couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't be going off and celebrating Christmas too early. We still have plans if you didn't remember."

"I know," Natsu said as he kissed Lucy on the forehead. "I was just messing around."

While the others were talking Gajeel got the sudden feeling that someone was staring at him. He turned to see that Levy had her eyes on him, but as soon as he turned she immediately looked away as a light blush crossed her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow as he watched the girl carefully. Her eyes fell back on him, but as soon as she saw that he was still watching her they immediately turned away as her face became an even darker shade of red.

"I think it's about time we got going," Erza said as she stepped in to interject. "As much as we all love watching Lucy and Natsu act like two love obsessed puppies we still have Igneel and Metalicana waiting for us. It would be rude to keep them waiting any longer."

"All right then," Lucy said as she began to pull Natsu towards the gate. Everyone just stared as Natsu stumbled forward.

Natsu followed behind her, everyone else shook their heads, but to Gray's surprise Juvia ran up and wrapped her arm around his. He had almost forgot that she was there, but he was happy to see her. Then she did something that threw him completely off his guard.

"Merry Christmas Gray," Juvia said as she kissed him on the cheek. The boy raised an eyebrow.

"Well that was kind of a shock," he said. "I got to tell you I really wasn't expecting that."

"Well I thought I give you a Christmas gift early," Juvia uttered quietly as her face flushed a little bit. Gray chuckled as he continued to walk, but he was absolutely oblivious to what her intention was. Nonetheless the two of them walked together towards the main gate with the others.

Erza rolled her eyes as she ran up to the front with the others leaving Levy behind with Gajeel. The smaller girl looked away frantically as she began to walk briskly away from him. She hugged her arms to her chest as she attempted to conceal her blushed face from him. Gajeel didn't pay too much attention to her but he just walked behind her.

When they arrived at the main gate they saw Igneel and Metalicana waiting for them like they usually did. The old men were talking amongst themselves but to everyone's surprise there was another boy with them. Gray's eyes shot up as he immediately recognized the boy standing with the other two men.

He was a tall boy about the same age as Erza and Leo. He had long white hair that blended in with the frosty snow around him. He gelled it with a combination of a comb over with spikes. He had dark eyes that matched his dark grim smirk something that could send a chill down someone's spine. He wore a long black trench coat with his hands tucked away in the pockets.

"Hey Gray," the white haired boy said smirking. The old men continued their conversation but all the other teen's eyes fell on the blue haired boy. Even Juvia gazed up at him in interest and confusion.

"Lyon?" Gray asked. He sounded both bewildered and affronted. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that anyway to treat your older brother?" Lyon asked as he held out his arms open for a hug. Gray scoffed as he denied the offer. Juvia became even more confused as everyone else exchanged stares of confusion except for the older men. "I thought I come by and spend some time with my little brother during Christmas. I mean Ur and the others miss you. You never call, you don't email, its like you just vanished off the face of the Earth."

"Maybe that's because I don't like you Lyon," Gray said shaking his head. "Did you forget about how you almost killed me when we were younger?"

Everyone became more interested now than ever. Natsu and Lucy exchanged their own glances of confusion as he saw that she was just as bewildered as him. They looked at Erza but she too seemed to be completely lost about what was going on. Leo was the only one that remained calm, but Natsu could see it in his eyes through the lens of his sunglasses, that even though he was calm he was probably as lost as any of them.

"That was years ago man," Lyon laughed. "Come one it would give us a chance to catch up." The white haired boy took a couple steps closer to him but Gray didn't budge.

Just then Lyon's eyes fell onto Juvia. The blue haired girl blushed as she saw him gazing at her. She tightened her grip on Lyon as she brought herself closer into him. Gray on the other hand didn't really notice. He leered at Lyon, not menacingly, not with hatred, but with more annoyance.

"And who might this be?" Lyon asked as he moved toward Juvia. The girl raised an eyebrow as she watched Lyon take a step closer to her. "Bonjour Mademoiselle," Lyon said as he took Juvia's hand and kissed it. The blue haired girl's face flushed a deep shade of crimson as her mouth went agape. "It's a pleasure." Lyon smiled as he stood upright, his eyes turning back to his brother. "Gray why dind't you tell me you had such an exquisite, and lovely, friend?

"Hey, hey, hey whoa back up there a second Pepe Le Douche," Gray said pushing Lyon back. "Why don't you find your own date?"

"Gray did you just say that we're dating?" Juvia asked innocently as her eyes lit up.

"What no? I—" Gray was at a loss for words.

"So she's not your date?" Lyon asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes she is," Gray said as he pulled Juvia in closer to him. The girl's face was a blistering red at this point. She almost fainted at his words as she grasped onto him tightly.

"Well we'll just see about that little brother," Lyon said winking at him. "Well come on then," he shouted to everyone else. "We shouldn't keep everyone else waiting."

"Everyone else?" Natsu asked raising an eyebrow. His attention fell on his father.

"Yeah we're just meeting some friends where we're going," Igneel said winking at him.

"Yep so everyone pick a car and hop in," Lyon yelled as he walked away. He stretched his arms at the three cars parked in the lot on the other side of the now snow covered null. "Gray and Juvia can ride with me."

"Sounds good to me," Igneel said as he motioned towards his own vehicle. "The two love birds can ride with me."

"All right Erza let's go," Leo said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Please," Erza scoffed rolling her eyes. "You know he means Lucy and Natsu."

"That hurts you know," Leo pouted as he became more sluggish. Erza just rolled her eyes but she couldn't contain her smile and laughter.

Lucy giggled as she kissed Natsu on the cheek before running over to the car, dragging Natsu along behind her. Gray moved toward Metalicana's car but was stopped by Lyon. The white haired boy stepped in front of him, Gray scowling as he did so.

"Come on Gray," Lyon said pointing at him. He had his keys in hand. "It'll get a chance to catch up. And it will give me a chance to get to know the lovely girl Juvia some more." He smiled at the girl causing him to blush.

Gray shook his head rejecting the offer. However, Juvia wasn't feeling the same way. She bit her lip as she thought about it for a second. She then smiled to herself before turning back over to Lyon.

"Okay," she said as she broke her grip and took a step away from him. Gray was confused as he raised an eyebrow watching her. "It's a nice offer I think I will ride with you." Juvia smiled sweetly as Lyon smirked at Gray. Gray was confounded as he watched Juvia walk up next to Lyon as his brother wrapped his arm around the girl. She smiled at Lyon and even giggled.

"Wait," Gray growled. "I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure?" Lyon asked looking back at him. "I mean I don't mind if it's just me and Juvia."

"No," Gray snapped. "I'm coming with you two."

Natsu had no idea where they were going. According to Igneel and Metalicana they were going somewhere as a surprise. The three cars drove down the street until Natsu realized exactly the type of way they were going. Natsu wasn't the only one, even Gajeel was able to remember the streets that they were going down.

It didn't take long but soon everyone arrived in front of a small house situated in a nice neighborhood. The cars parked outside on the street as Natsu recognized the house. He chuckled to himself as the car parked on the street. As they got out of the car Natsu took Lucy's hand in his, but he still chuckled to himself. Lucy looked at him confused as she raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" Lucy asked. "Do you know where we are?"

"Oh yeah I do," Natsu said grinning widely at her.

"So did you just have to bring so many people to my house?" Grandine yelled out to them as she stepped out from behind the house door. She placed her hands on her hips as she scowled at Natsu's father.

"You agreed to it," Igneel yelled back with wide smirk on his face. Natsu laughed as he saw the expression on everyone's face. Lucy's mouth was agape as she saw Grandine standing there.

"You can't be serious?" she said as she looked at Natsu with concern. He just smiled at her as he followed his father up the pathway.

As Natsu and the others entered the house they were greeted by a group of people that Natsu had never met before. One was a middle-aged woman with short brown hair and dark eyes. There was another girl there who looked like her double, but younger. Her hair was longer, it draped down to her waist and she kept it tied back with two black berets. Natsu could figure that she had to be the older woman's daughter for obvious reasons. There was one other girl, younger with shoulder length pink hair. She had light eyes, friendly eyes and a cute little smile about her that just made her adorable.

"Ul? Ultear? Meredy" Gray said in disbelief once he walked through the door and saw the three girls. Juvia stood next to Lyon as the white haired boy carried a large smile on his face, and had to retain himself from laughing at Gray's utter shocked expression. Juvia turned to Lyon wondering what the deal was about, she didn't even noticed that he had wrapped his arm around her.

"Gray it's so good to see you again," the eldest woman said as she ran up to him and gave him a hug. "It's been so long. How have you been?" She pulled away, a large sweet grin on her face. But suddenly it vanished as she slapped the boy across the face that it echoed through the room.

"What was that for?" Gray asked astonishment as he touched his cheek.

"What was that for?" the older woman said placing her hands on her hips. She glared down at him. Gray recoiled underneath it as the woman raised her fist and bumped him on the top of the head. Lyon burst out into laughter as he watched the event transpire. Natsu and the other's raised an eyebrow. If they weren't already confused by what was going on they were at a complete loss now. "You never write, you never call, we don't hear from you for months and you wonder why you're getting slapped? You're such an idiot you know that?"

"Gray who is that woman?" Juvia asked. She seemed both angry and shocked at the same time.

"My foster mother," Gray mumbled as he turned away from the elder woman. "Ul." He made the name sound sinister as he said it.

"Hi there," Ul said as she offered a welcoming smile to everyone. "My name is Ul as Gray happened to mention." She sent a cold glare his way. "This is my daughter Ultear," Ul said as she pointed over to the girl that looked like her. The younger girl offered a courteous smile that was eerily just like her mother's. "And that little cutie behind her is Meredy."

"Nice to meet you all," Meredy said bowing her head in greeting.

"Nice to meet you two young ladies," Igneel said as he took his coat off and made his way to the living room. "Ul how about we help Grandine get everything ready."

"Oh no need," the woman answered. "We already got everything set up."

"Oh then I guess that's good," Igneel said laughing as he disappeared down the hallway.

"By the way where's Wendy?" Natsu asked as he peered around the room. He and Lucy began to take off their coats.

"She's in her room," Grandine answered. She sighed deeply as she shook her head. "The poor girl was excited to see you and Gajeel again but when the others came by she disappeared. I think that she's just acting ridiculous."

The others began to make their way inside as well. Once Levy had entered she made it her first priority to get as far away from Gajeel as she could. Gajeel hardly even noticed. He was standing next to his father by the door as the two of them took off their coats. Leo on the other hand attempted to help Erza out of her coat only to be met with a light slap across the cheek. He laughed it off. He got too much enjoyment out of pestering Erza.

Once Erza was in she immediately recognized Ultear as she stood next to Meredy. The two of them were talking. She glared at her getting an uncomforting feeling. She knew that she was the girl that was with Jellal from several weeks ago. Though she looked around the room hoping that perhaps she would spot the boy, she found herself getting disappointed.

Gray soon noticed that Lyon had his arm around Juvia once Ul had walked away from him. The by began to get enraged as he took a step closer to them. Once he was within range he gently raised Lyon's arm off of her and threw to the side. Lyon smirked at him cocking his head as he raised his hands in the air as if admitting defeat. But before he walked away he gave Juvia a wink, a motion that caused her to give off a girly giggle. Gray seemed to get a little more upset by the gesture.

"Wendy get down here!" Grandine called out as she passed by a staircase located on the other side of the house. There was no reply, but the old woman wouldn't have it. She made her way up the stairway until she vanished from view.

"You're Ultear aren't you?" Erza said as she walked up to the long brown haired girl. The girl gazed at her smiling, but only to have it vanish abruptly as she recognized the red head. Erza leered at her threateningly, her arms crossed across her chest. Meredy's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them as she began to get nervous.

"Why yes I am," Ultear rumbled. She made a similar gesture as her gaze became somewhat more menacing. Meredy began to grow even more uncomfortable as she watched the two of them. "You're—" she thought about it for a second. Sarcastically, as though Erza wasn't important enough to be remembered. "You're Erza right?"

"That's right," Erza said with a fake smile. "You remember me? Jellal's friend?"

"Oh right the girl from the pier silly me," Ultear taunted. "Must have slipped my mind."

"So where is he?" Erza asked placing a hand on her hip.

"Who?" Ultear asked sarcastically.

"Jellal."

"Oh he went back up north a little while ago," Ultear answered her. Erza's felt her heart drop in her chest. "He said he had to leave town for awhile. We asked if he wanted to come and spend Christmas back here at home, but he said he needed some time to himself."

"Damn," Erza sighed as her eyes fell to the floor. She felt heart broken. She had hoped to see him again, but it appeared that she wouldn't. Ultear could see the sadness in Erza's eyes as she began to feel guilty.

"Hey listen I'm sorry," Ultear said quietly placing a hand on Erza's shoulder. "He'll be back soon. I promise. He just needed some time to himself. He said that he had a run in with some jerk he used to know and he felt like he needed to get away for a while."

"Oh," Erza answered. She wasn't satisfied with the information. She didn't care as long as she was here and Jellal was not.

"Hey come on Erza cheer up," she heard Leo say as he placed an arm around her shoulder. "It's Christmas! The season of eggnog and jolliness! We need to turn that frown upside down."

"Get away you idiot," Erza said pushing him aside yet she couldn't help but laugh.

As everyone else made their way into the house Gajeel stayed back as he remembered that he had forgotten something from his coat. He reached into one of the inside pockets and pulled out rectangular box covered in green giftwrapping and a red ribbon. He gazed at it as he let out a big breathe.

He then followed the others to the living room where a large Christmas tree in full decoration of ornaments and lights. Underneath were a stockpile of presents each decorated in an array of Christmas themed wrapping and ribbons. Though the presents weren't the only items lying beneath the tree, but also a familiar small white cat. Next to the tree was a brick layered fireplace that wasn't lit at the moment and three red stockings that hung above it.

Everyone took there seats on either the couch or just standing around. The adults were together talking to themselves. Erza and the girls were standing in a corner talking about what ever it was that girls talked about. Even Lucy had broken away from Natsu for a second to go and join in on the giggle fest. Juvia finally found time to get away from both Gray and his brother for a second and just have some girl time. Erza and Ultear seemed to be getting along after their little scuffle earlier on.

Gajeel sat there quietly waiting for the right moment. He watched Levy carefully, but made sure she didn't notice him staring at her. He was jittery as he held the small green package in his hands. Once Levy broke away from the girl's for a second Gajeel made his move. He followed her to the kitchen as she went to grab herself a drink from the refridgerator.

"Hey Levy," Gajeel said quietly as he held the package at his side.

The small girl nearly jumped in place dropping the container of water she was holding. She brought her hand to her heart as she began to breath deeply.

"You almost gave me a heart attack," she said in between breaths. "Do you enjoy doing this to me all the time?"

"Maybe," Gajeel chuckled. "I know that I was supposed to wait to give you your present when we exchange gifts, but I figured I give you yours ahead of schedule."

The girl blinked in disbelief. At first she was skeptical until she saw the green box he was holding outstretched in his hand. She didn't think that Gajeel would ever give her a present. She didn't think he had it in him to be that nice. Then again she wondered. Maybe it was a prank? Maybe it was going to be something stupid. It wasn't like Gajeel to be nice at all to her, or anyone for that matter.

"Oh thank you," she said gently as she took the present from his hand. She examined it closely gazing down at the green wrapping. She set the water container down on the kitchen counter before she opened it.

Once she had taken off all the wrapping her eyes immediately shot up. In her had was a leather cover book with gold lettering that read _Huckleberry Finn_. The pages themselves were decorated gold as they glistened in the lamplight. The girl ran her hand over the cover feeling the sturdiness of the cover. It was a work of art in itself.

"Why'd you do this?" she asked finally bringing her attention back up to Gajeel.

"It's Christmas and I heard you like books," he said. "So I figured I get you something that you would like. You know as an apology for being such an ass."

"Gajeel," the girl said shaking her head. "This is too much. These books cost about fifty dollars at least."

"Don't worry about the price," Gajeel assured her. "That's not an issue. If it makes you feel any better I didn't spend all that much money on it. My father knows some people so don't get all bent out of shape about it."

"Well I really appreciate it," the girl said as she hugged it closer to herself. "Now I feel guilty for not getting you anything." She blushed in embarrassment, but Gajeel just shook his head.

"You don't need to get me anything," he reassured her.

He was about to walk away when he felt her small hand grasp his wrist. He turned to look back at her. He saw that her face was a deep shade of red as her eyes were focused on the ground. He raised an eyebrow in wonder as he stood there. Then suddenly the girl got up on her toes and kissed her gently on the cheek. His eyes went wide as he felt her lips touch his skin.

"Thank you," she whispered softly into his ear before taking a step back from him.

Gajeel just grinned as he cold see how flustered she had become. She made a motion to walk away but this time it was her who was stopped.

"Hold on a second," Gajeel said as he wrapped an arm around her small waist. Her eyes peered up at him carrying a quizzical gaze.

"What is i—" before she had time to finish she found herself being pulled in and up by Gajeel's arm as their two lips met. Her eyes went wide as her face lit up.

Levy didn't mind anymore, she didn't even try to resist it. She dropped the book that she was holding in her hand as it made a loud thump on the kitchen floor. She then wrapped her arms around the other boy's neck as she pushed herself deeper into the kiss.

After a few moments the two of them broke off, their eyes still focused on the others. "Merry Christmas," Gajeel said softly.

"Merry Christmas," Levy said as she pulled him in for another kiss.


	42. Chapter 42

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Leo said smugly. He eyed the couple with a smug grin. His arms folded across his chest as he leaned up against the far wall.

Gajeel and Levy broke away from their kiss, their faces both flushed with embarrassment. The small girl coughed as she bent down to pick up her book. She couldn't even look at either boy, but when she stood up she gave Gajeel a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Both Leo and Gajeel watched her as she bumped the orange haired boy before making her exit.

"Very nice Gajeel," Leo chuckled as he approached the black haired boy. "I knew you had it in you. Nice." Leo slapped the boy on the shoulder as Gajeel glowered at him. Though Leo was getting a thrill out of the moment, Gajeel was not satisfied. His face was still flushed, but he held a malevolent glare at the other boy. Leo noticed, but it only made his smile that much more wider.

"Oh come on," Leo said shrugging. "Like we didn't know that this was coming. Don't get too embarrassed. Soon the two of you will be making out in public not caring about what other people think. Then after that you'll be making sweet love."

Gajeel's face grew an even darker shade of crimson as Leo said that. Leo burst out into laughter as he slapped the boy on the shoulder again. "I was kidding," Leo said between laughs. "But not really." Leo said seriously.

"Now come on you silly girl," Grandine scoffed as she practically pulled Wendy downstairs. The girl fought back trying to resist, but she was unable to over power the older woman. When they finally arrived downstairs Natsu was happy to see her finally join them, but the girl was still shy that she even hid behind her mother. "Come now Wendy you can't be hiding from everyone forever."

Wendy finally stepped out from behind her mother. She cupped her hands in front of her as her eyes peered down at the floor her face was a light shade of pink. To say that she was nervous was an understatement the poor girl was practically shaking. She wore a long green dress with red trimmings that decorated her skirt.

"Hey Wendy," Natsu greeted her as he stepped up to the girl and kneeled down in front of her. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," the girl said softly offering a smile back.

"Hi Wendy it's nice to meet you," Lucy said as she too came over to greet the small girl. She squatted next to Natsu as she offered the girl a friendly smile. Wendy returned it as her anxiety began to fade.

"Hey there Wendy you remember me?" Erza said as walked up to them. Wendy's eyes went wide as she remembered the red head girl from before.

"Yeah I remember you," Wendy said grinning widely. "You're the woman that helped me find Charle."

"Yep that's me," Erza said smiling at her. "Why don't you join us?"

"Okay," the girl said nodding her head following Erza to where everyone else was sitting.

Levy came back into the room, her face still a slight red as she sat down quietly hugging her book to her chest. She was careful not to make eye contact with anyone. Gajeel and Leo followed in behind her, Leo still having his smug smirk while Gajeel went back to his same old melancholy expression that he usually had. Leo sat down next to Levy to stir uncomfortably.

Gray sat alone in the corner while Ul was busy talking to Igneel and Metalicana. Ultear and Meredy were making friendly chat with Erza, Natsu, Lucy and Wendy. He watched as Lyon began to talk to Juvia, whispering softly in her ear. The blue haired girl giggled softly as Lyon laughed along with her. Gray didn't notice that the girl was taking occasional glances at him through her peripheral vision. He sulked as he watched them, finding himself growing more and more infuriated with each passing giggle.

"Okay everyone well I think that it's time for us to exchange gifts," Grandine said as she made her way over to the tree. "So who wants to begin?"

Natsu was the first to stand up and make a move to the tree. Everyone's eyes fell on him as he picked up a small blue package near the back of the tree. He walked over and handed it to Lucy who took it from him with a wide grin. Natsu took a seat next to her.

"Thank you," she said as she began to open the package. As she did so Igneel made his own way to the tree as did Metalicana. With that people began to exchange their gifts. As Lucy opened the present her eyes went wide. Inside was a gold locket in the shape of a heart. "Wow Natsu it's beautiful," she said kissing him softly on the cheek.

"Take a look inside," Natsu told her. She smiled as she obeyed his request, opening the heart locket. She beamed a large smile as she saw that inside was a picture of the two of them when they were children, about the time they first met. Natsu and Lucy were standing side by side flashing wide grins Natsu was missing his front two teeth. They were standing out in front of the beach holding hands. Igneel walked over as he looked at it from over her shoulder.

"Oh I remember that photo," he said softly as he smiled gently. "That was the day after you two first met. "It seems like so long ago doesn't it?"

"Yeah it does," Lucy said as she kissed Natsu on the cheek again. The boy blushed lightly as he wrapped his arm around her. She snuggled into him as she held the picture up in front of them. "Thank you Natsu, I love it."

"Good," Natsu chuckled.

Leo watched them as his eyes fell on the locket. It was eerie just how similar this situation was. He remembered back to that night with Jellal and Mest. He remembered Jellal telling him about his plan on giving Erza the same exact gift. His heart sank in his chest as he hoped that Erza wouldn't see it, but then again he remembered that she never knew about the locket that Jellal had bought for her. The thought made him feel even worse as he sagged in his chair.

* * *

><p>It was a few days after Christmas and Damian waited outside the front of the local high school. He wore a long black trench coat and black silk scarf. He was smoking a cigarette, something that he normally didn't do, at least not in public. He had an image to uphold. He wasn't alone his younger brother sat at one of the tables next to him. Like his brother he wore a black trench coat and a scarf, but his was blue unlike his brother's.<p>

Damian waited patiently as Sean listened to music through some headphones he brought with him. They weren't kept long as a familiar figure appeared before them. A hunchback who stood so crooked that the lump on his back could be seen even through his coat hung off of his body. He had a weird smirk on his face even though his face itself appeared to be as crooked as his back.

"Nullpudding," Damian sighed as he took another drag of his cigarette. "I have to say I'm quite surprised to see you walking around here, let alone you being the one to contact me."

Nullpudding scowled at him. He did not like Damian that much was true. He hated the boy and even though he wanted to throttle him right then and there he knew that he couldn't. He had something else that he was preparing to use.

"Don't take it as a friendly gesture ass," Nullpudding hissed. "I have some information for you, but I expect something in return for it."

"Of course," Damian sighed as he doused the butt in some snow on the table before walking over to the hunchback. "Why else would you have contacted me?"

"Yeah no shit," Nullpudding grumbled under his breathe.

"So let's see this so called 'evidence' you have," Damian said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Nah ah ah," Nullpudding said waving his finer. "Information isn't free here Damian." The boy smirked as he saw Damian scowl. "Let's see it."

"Very well," Damian sighed rolling his eyebrows. He reached into his coat and retrieved a manila envelope.

Nullpudding snatched it from his hand the second his eyes caught it. He giggled to himself uncontrollably as he opened it revealing stacks of hundred dollar bills. He gazed up at the boy with a sinister grin on his face. He still laughed to himself as he gently placed the envelop in his coat pocket and patted it gently as though he were keeping it safe.

"Good, good," the boy said between chuckles.

"Now let's see this so called evidence already," Damian said growing impatient. He scowled at the boy menacingly and waited to see what would happen next. For Nullpudding's sake he hoped the boy actually had something to give him.

"Here it is," the boy said pulling out a manila folder and handing it to Damian. The boy was reluctant to take it seeing as where exactly the hunchback boy had stored it, but he took it anyways. He was just pretty thankful that he had worn gloves that day.

When he opened the folder he pulled out photographs. There were several, almost a dozen of which. In them he could see Zancrow talking to two police officers outside a dinner in the middle of the city. He knew the area, it was a place near where Zancrow grew up and went to school. Damian stared at them skeptically before his eyes finally leered back up at Nullpudding.

"What exactly am I looking at?" he asked as he flipped through the photos again.

"That's Zancrow," Nullpudding answered.

"I can see that," Damian snarled as he placed the photos back into the folder. "But why are you showing me pictures of Zancrow talking to the police? What he does and gets in trouble for is his business, not mine."

"Well you see in these pictures Zancrow is ratting you out to the cops," Nullpudding told him as he tapped the outside of the folder with his finger.

Damian burst out into laughter. "Yeah sure okay for what?" Damian asked skeptically raising an eyebrow. He was challenging the boy trying to call any potential bluff he might have.

"For you and your father's drug dealings," Nullpudding smirked. He was surprised that he was met with a smirk of Damian's own.

"For one thing I don't touch drugs," Damian said waving his arms in the air in exaggeration. "For another thing everyone knows that my father's company has been making deals with the drug trade. But guess what? There's no evidence. It's all offshore accounts and transactions. There isn't a court in this, or any country, that could prosecute him. So sorry to burst your bubble there Null."

"They don't need to take down your father," Nullpudding said smirking. "They just want to take down you. "Damian's eyes went wide at the remark. Even Sean became a little intrigued by what was going on as he listened carefully. "You see the cops just want you Damian. Since you're the one getting into too much trouble so often. Zancrow already sold you out, they're just waiting for the time and place to nab you."

"Bull shit," Damian snarled. "How do I even know if I can trust you?"

"You can't," Nullpudding said smiling to himself. "All you know is that I gave you pictures. Whether or not you choose to believe them is up to you. Me I got what I came here for," Nullpudding said patting the spot where the envelope full of money had been placed. "Do what you want with them," Nullpudding said waving his hand in the air before turning away. "I don't really care."

"What incentive do you have on giving me this information? What incentive do you have on ratting out Zancrow?" Damian demanded. "How do I even know that you're telling me the truth about Zancrow?" Damian wanted answers. He knew that this could lead to trouble, especially if it's Zancrow who's the one doing it. He could feel his heart rushing but he tried not to panic. He kept his composure making sure Nullpudding couldn't see that he was worried about this.

"I told you what I heard," Nullpudding said as he continued to walk away. "I heard Zancrow talking to the cops about you when I was out for a bite to eat. I don't know exactly what he told them all I know is that he said that he was going to help the cops get you in order to get off on some drug charges. It's just so funny to see one of your closest friends rat you out. Enjoy what comes next. I got some money to spend."

Damian watched as the boy walked down the roadway before disappearing behind a street corner. At no point did Nullpudding turn back to look at him, but he could just tell that the boy had a large grin on him as he walked away. Either way Damian didn't care. He made his way back over to where his younger brother was sitting and took a seat next to him.

"What was that all about?" Sean asked as he gazed down at the folder Damian still held in his hands.

"Apparently Zancrow is going to sell me out to the cops," Damian told him as he rubbed his forehead. "That kid is just such an idiot. He didn't even check to see that the money was all counterfeit bills. Plus what does he think he's going to do with all that money anyways? Go to a bank? Yeah like that won't be suspicious at all."

"Unless he goes to an offshore account," Sean said as he reached down to pick up the folder out of his brother's hands.

"He's not nearly that intelligent, nor is he even capable of doing something like that." Damian sighed as he sagged back in his chair and pulled out a carton of cigarettes.

"So what are you going to do about this?" Sean asked as he peered over the different photos. Damian said nothing, he just lit another cigarette and took a deep breathe of it. Sean raised an eyebrow as he turned to his brother when he received no reply.

"I don't know," Damian finally said as he inhaled some smoke. "I guess we have to wait and see what happens next there little brother."

"And what about dad?" Sean asked. "What if he finds out?"

"It doesn't concern dad at all Sean," Damian growled between puffs. "If I go down for anything they can't pin on dad. They can't pin me on any drug charges. I don't handle drugs. I don't touch them. My hands are clean. If the worse were to happen they would get me on some other charge. Dad won't give two shits about anything that happens to me. Yeah sure the family will get embarrassed . . . again, but that won't effect dad. If he does do anything then he has you to fall back on so I wouldn't worry about you or dad."

"Do you think he was lying about Zancrow and about the cops?" Sean asked. "I mean he obviously doesn't like you and I would hardly think that he is someone you could trust."

"I think that's precisely why I kind of believe him," Damian admitted. "He doesn't like me and I know he wants revenge. Perhaps snaking some money from me was his idea of revenge. That and it would also get Zancrow in trouble. He knows that without me Zancrow and his gang can't survive. They'll get hauled off to juvy. They already know that I helped them, since they started dealing drugs, but I don't know how much information Zancrow can actually give out. I'm not too worried, but I think I have to find out for myself whether or not I can truly trust Zancrow."

"How're you going to do that?" Sean asked.

"I don't know yet. But I'll think of something," Damian said as he peered at his brother. He had a reassuring smile. He had been in hot water before and always managed to get out of it. But now he wondered just how far he was going to have to go to insure that he got off this time.

He didn't like what was happening. He didn't like thinking that one of his closest friends would betray him. Then again if Zancrow did do something stupid and get caught he wouldn't be surprised if he did make a deal. He just hoped for Zancrow's sake that the boy wasn't that stupid. Zancrow knew exactly what would happen to him had he betrayed the Konstantine family.

"Okay," Sean sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I often wonder what would happen if I was the one who was to be put in charge of the company?"

"You'd run it into the grown," Damian told him. There was a serious air in his voice. Sean frowned at his brother for the remark. "You get too emotional Sean. Just like it was with Lucy. Why else do you think she dumped you ass? You get so attached and you become so demanding. That's why she left you."

"She left me for that faggot ass pink haired bitch," Sean growled as he turned away in rage. "That fucking douche bag took my girl from me. I swear I'm going to get him back for it."

"I'll get him back for you," Damian sighed as he took one last breath of his cigarette. "You'll just do something stupid and get yourself in more trouble. Trust me little bro I can handle this. And besides you shouldn't have to worry about Lucy too much. Knowing her father she'll come back to you."

"Good," Sean pouted as he folded his arms across his chest.

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I was visiting my nephew last weekend and then I got sick. Wont go into details but it there was vomiting involved. Well anyways here's the new chapter I hope you all enjoy and I will have the next one out ASAP**


	43. Chapter 43

Winter break had come to an end and everyone was ready to go back to school. Well not everyone, Natsu loathed at the idea of returning to class even though he was excited to get back into the practice room and work on some martial arts. He was hoping to see Gildarts and his other friends again, though he still didn't want to deal with homework and going to class. But at least this semester would be different. At least now he had Lucy by his side and he had his friends.

He sat in his dorm room with Gajeel and Gray. Gray didn't appear to be in the happiest of moods. Gajeel on the other hand was a little more upbeat, and cheery than he normally was. Natsu couldn't figure out why, but it had to do with something over winter break. He remembered the New Year's Eve party that Igneel and Metalicana threw at the hotel they were staying at down town. Everyone from Christmas was there including Gray's brother Lyon and the others. Ever since Lyon was spending time with Juvia Gray appeared to get sulk more and more.

Meanwhile Lucy sat with Levy in their dorm room as the exchanged stories about things that they did over winter break, despite them spending the majority of it together. Though Lucy knew that it was just Levy trying to get information about her and Natsu's relationship. She was a little too nosy, but she was her best friend and she knew that she could share almost anything with her. But she couldn't shake off the feeling that Levy was hiding something from her. Something that she didn't want to reveal to her just yet.

Levy was never very good at keeping her emotions hidden. Lucy attempted to pry out what information she could about her bizarre behavior but it always seemed to circumnavigate back to her. They continued their conversation until Lucy heard her phone ring. She expected it to be Natsu or one of her other friends but to her surprise the caller ID read that it was a phone call from her father.

She was a bit shocked to see that her father was calling her. He hardly ever did unless it was something important. Her eyes fell onto Levy who was just as skeptical as she was. The small girl just shrugged, offering no words of advice.

"Hello?" Lucy answered the phone. She tried to sound enthusiastic.

"Lucy this is your father," she heard the old man say. "I need to have a word with you."

"Okay," Lucy said softly, the air taken out of her. She dreaded those words. She hated those words, especially when it was her father who said them. They were always followed by bad news, and from the tone of his voice he wasn't in a pleasant mood.

Levy became more concerned now. She knew how Lucy's father was and she herself did not like the man. She felt that he was much too hard and demanding on Lucy. She didn't like the way he would talk to her and treat her. She could see the look of anguish in Lucy's eyes as she spoke making her ever more worried about her friend.

"This is not a matter I which to discuss over the phones," her father said sternly. "I have sent a limo to pick you up outside the school gates and it should be arriving in fifteen minutes. I expect you to get in and arrive at the manner. Is that understood?"

"Yes daddy," Lucy sighed. She wanted to sound excited and cheery but she just couldn't do it. And she knew that her father had heard the distraught in her voice, but he said nothing more and just hung up.

There was no hello. There was no good bye. There was no "How was your winter break," or "How was your Christmas?" There was no request to know about how she had been. She hated that but she said nothing. She just stood up and made her way to the door. Levy watched her as she attempted to leave.

"Where are you going?" she asked as Lucy opened the door.

"I have to go see my father," Lucy said offering her friend a reassuring grin. "I won't be long."

Lucy made her way outside to the where she expected the limo to be. As she walked down the pathway towards the main gate she was a little surprised to see Natsu walking towards her direction. She offered him a friendly smile as she suddenly realized that she had agreed to meet up with him for lunch. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten, and from the way he carried his grin she could tell he obviously remembered.

"Hey Lucy," Natsu said as he walked up to her. He gave her a hug, one that she accepted, though she didn't wrap her arms around him in return. Natsu could sense that there was something wrong. When he pulled away he eyed her skeptically. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she told him. She offered him another smile. "I just have to go see my father real fast."

"Oh okay," Natsu said as he offered her a smile of his own. Though he was worried. He could see in her eyes that Lucy was only pretending to be okay with going to see her father He wanted to say something to make her feel better but he didn't know what to say.

"I'll see you later okay?" Lucy said softly as she kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

"Okay," Natsu sighed as he watched her leave.

When Lucy arrived at the limo she greeted the driver and got into the car. She got in without word. The drive was quite as Lucy chose to remain silent. Her driver occasionally watched her through his rear view mirror to check on her. He didn't care about how she was doing or what she was thinking. He had a job to do and that was his main priority.

When Lucy arrived at her home she could see that the driveway was neatly shoveled. Both the trees and the ground were covered with an even layer of snow. Something she found quite odd. Her house was decorated with the white frost but the windows were still cleaned and polished as they were supposed to be and the stairway leading up to her house speared was free of snow just like the driveway.

When she got out of the car she politely thanked the driver before heading inside. She had goose bumps and it wasn't because of cold. If her father called her all the way back to the manner it must have been something important. She knew that he was serious, but about what she didn't know. She was just worried about what he was going to say to her.

She walked up stairs to her father's study. She stood outside the large maple door and inhaled a deep breath before knocking. "Enter," she heard her father call from the other side of the door. Lucy took another deep breath before stepping inside.

The room was like it had always been since she was a little girl. Nothing about it had changed throughout the course of time her father stayed in there. She saw her father sitting at his desk looking over some paper work. He gazed up briefly once he heard the door close. He stared at his daughter for a second before turning his eyes back to his work.

"You wanted to see my daddy?" Lucy asked as she took a step forward.

"Lucy," the old man bellowed, "can't you see that I'm busy right now?"

"Sorry," Lucy said apologetically before going silent. She watched as her father finished reading through his paper before setting it down. He let out a deep breathe before looking back up to his daughter.

"Now you may speak," her father said as he set down the reading glasses he had on. He leaned back in his chair as he glared over the desk at her. She shivered underneath it. She hated that stare it was cold and unloving.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Lucy asked quietly avoiding his gaze.

"Yes I did," the old man grumbled. "Lucy I have to say that I am very disappointed in you."

"What?" Lucy was both hurt and shocked by his words.

"I heard that you broke up with Sean for some . . . low life peasant,"

"But dad I—"

"You shall remain silent until told so young lady is that understood?" the old man roared angrily. Lucy immediately shut her mouth and looked away from him. She couldn't believe how angry he was. "How dare you? Did I not make it clear that you were to date Sean Konstantine, a boy I have deemed worthy to date you. Now I find out that you have left him for some common street trash? This is absurd and I will not tolerate it young lady!" Her father stood up now enraged. "Now you are going to call Sean Konstantine and you are going to apologize for your insolence!"

Lucy was on the verge of tears at this point. She didn't know what to say. She was confused and heart broken.

"Excuse . . . knock, knock," a familiar voice said as the door began to creek open. Mr. Heartfilia stood at attention his face full of bewilderment as he didn't even expect anyone to even come into the room when he was talking to his daughter. He wondered who would have the nerve.

Lucy on the other hand was even more stunned than her father to see a familiar pink haired boy enter through the door.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Natsu said as he walked through the door. Lucy's father was just as baffled as she was as the pink haired boy's eyes darted around the room before they fell on Lucy's father. "Damn this place is huge I almost had trouble finding it."

"Who in the fuck are you?" Mr. Meartfilia asked in amazement. He stood up his eyes wide as they fell on his daughter.

"Natsu?" the blonde breathed out in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she stepped closer to him. Her face was a mixture of confusion and frustration. "I thought I told you that I was going to see my father and that I would see you later."

"Yeah but you never defined when later would be," Natsu said smirking. He walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The gesture only made her that much more confused.

"Excuse me," Mr. Heartfilia growled. "But who in the hell are you?"

"Oh me," Natsu laughed. "I'm Natsu. The guy who's currently dating your daughter. You know the low life . . . peasant was it?"

"You?" the old man growled in disbelief. "You're the tool that my daughter so foolishly decided to date?"

"Yeah," Natsu said nodding his head.

"How dare you show yourself in front of me," the old man said sounding offended. "You are not going to stand in my daughter's way of happiness. You will not be the disgrace that my daughter has wrought to this family."

Lucy was now even more shocked by her father's words. She was bemused as to what he was saying to Natsu, but what was even stranger for her was that Natsu seemed to be unfazed by what was being said to him.

"Your daughter's happiness?" Natsu chuckled but Lucy could see that his stare was more serious than what he was leading on. "It sounds to me that you're just some selfish ass who's only trying to use his daughter as though she's some kind of bargaining chip. Who the fuck do you think you are trying to sell her like she's some piece of meat. Now I don't know what this is all about but if you're trying to dictate who Lucy should and shouldn't date. You don't care about her and that's obvious. But I do care about her," he turned and looked her smiling widely. "Actually I guess I could say that I love her. I've known her for years and she's always been someone close to me."

"That's sweet," the old man scoffed. "But Lucy is my daughter and she will do as I say. I know what is best for her."

"What's best for her?" Natsu growled. "Or what's best for you?"

"How dare you!" Lucy's father roared.

"Well how dare you, you son of a bitch!" Natsu yelled back. Both Lucy and her father were stunned. She had never heard anyone talk to her father like that before.

"I want this trash out of my house!" Lucy's father roared again. "Lucy I forbid you from ever seeing this boy again do you hear me?"

Lucy remained silent for a second. She continued to look at Natsu who had turned back to her. His eyes met hers still smiling. She felt her heart beat deep inside her chest. She clutched her chest when suddenly she felt a small piece of metal underneath her shirt. She recognized it immediately as the locket that Natsu had given her for Christmas. The memory of when they first met flooded into her mind. She smiled back at him as she peered into his eyes.

"No," she said quietly.

"What did you say?" her father asked in bewilderment.

"I said no dad," Lucy yelled as she took a step closer to Natsu. She furrowed her eyebrows disobediently. "All my life you've been telling me what to do. And all my life I have obeyed your every command. All you do is try and control me, and my life. I'm not your puppet I'm your daughter. Why can't you see that? I know Natsu cares about me and I care about him too. And now for the first time in a long time I'm finally happy. Can't you just be happy for me? For once in your life can you consider what I want?"

Her father stared at her coldly. He was quite as he sat back in his chair. He continued to hold his glare. His leer became much more intense as he watched Natsu take Lucy's hand in his. The girl smiled softly as she kissed the boy on the cheek.

"Lucy if you do go through with this then I will not hesitate to disown you," her father glared at her menacingly. "I will completely cut you off. No money, no support, nothing."

"Fine then I will take care of her," Natsu said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

"You?" Mr. Heartfilia laughed. "You take care of her? You can't give her what she wants."

"You're right I can't give her everything she wants," Natsu admitted. "But I can give her everything that she needs. If I have her that's good enough for me."

"And if I have you than that's good enough for me too," Lucy said softly as she hugged Natsu even tighter.

Mr. Heartfilia watched them carefully. "Come on Lucy let's go," Natsu said as he walked towards the door. Lucy said nothing but followed him. She expected her father to say something but he remained perfectly quite. That was until they reached the door then she could hear the sound of her father's chair moving as the old man stood up.

"Lucy don't you dare walk out that door!" Her father ordered one last time. His voice was stern and filled with rage.

"You know what dad?" Lucy said without even turning to face him. "Fuck you." With that the two of them

When they walked outside Lucy wanted to ask Natsu how they were going to get home, but seeing as how he persisted on leading her down the driveway she said nothing. Though that wasn't what was bugging her the most. She wondered how Natsu made it all the way up to her estate in the first place. How did he know where she lived and what drove him to come to her home in the first place?

She continued to follow him down the driveway. It was then that she saw exactly where he was leading her to a truck just outside the gate. At the drivers seat sat Igneel and in the other seat were Levy and Gajeel. The thought only raised even more questions for her, but she just smiled as Natsu opened the side door.

"Hey Lucy," Levy greeted her with a smile. "How are you doing? Did everything go okay?"

"Yeah," she said offering them a wide grin. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Well then why don't Natsu and Gajeel hop up in the back so that you girls can sit up here in the front?" Igneel said as he looked at the kids.

"Okay," Gajeel said as he stepped out of the truck.

"You know what? I'll sit in the back with Gajeel," Levy said as she followed him out. Lucy peered at her awkwardly wondering why the girl insisted on sitting in the back with a boy she hardly liked. She decided not to say anything as she hopped in with Natsu as Gajeel helped Levy into the back.

"So how did it go?" Igneel asked as he began to drive down the road.

"Not well," Natsu said smiling. Igneel laughed at his son's expression. Lucy giggled gently. She knew that Natsu was right. It really didn't go well, and knowing her father everything he said was probably true.

Lucy thought about her father's words again. She was happy of what she had said to him. She didn't regret nor expect herself to. She had her friends to take care of her and that's all she needed. She had Natsu who had always been there for her before, and she knew that he would always be there for her in the future. She was so busy thinking back to that moment in the study that she snapped out of her thought.

"What's so funny?" she asked gazing back and forth between Natsu and Igneel.

"Oh nothing," Igneel said smiling at her. "Don't worry Lucy. We'll always be there to take care of you."

'Oh," she said blinking. She still didn't know what they were talking about but she couldn't help but smile nonetheless. "Thank you."

Meanwhile in the back of the truck Levy sat close to Gajeel. She snuggled up closely to him as he wrapped his arm around her. There was a blanket in the back of the truck that they wrapped around themselves to keep warm. Levy rested her head on top of his chest. She closed her eyes as he stroked her hair. Levy found herself falling asleep but Gajeel didn't mind. He kissed her on the head as she snuggled her head deeper into him.

Gajeel didn't notice Natsu watching them through the rear view mirror. He nudged Lucy motioning her to look in the back of the truck. She began to giggle as she saw Levy and Gajeel together. She had never expected that in her life. The two of them were so different, but it would explain Levy's bizarre behavior and for Natsu it would explain Gajeel's more up beat behavior.

Levy hummed gently as Gajeel continued to stroke her hair. She smiled as she lifted her head up and smiled drearily and kissed him on the lips. She didn't usually like to publically display her and Gajeel's relationship. Though at the moment she didn't know that there was an audience watching. She placed her hand on his cheek as she deepened the kiss. He pulled her in closer to him as well as he wrapped his arm around her hip.

Just then Gajeel had a sudden feeling that someone was watching them. When he opened his eyes he could see both Lucy and Natsu smirking at him through the truck's back mirror. He furrowed his eyebrows and flipped them off as he continued to kiss Levy. Natsu and Lucy just continued to laugh.


	44. Chapter 44

A few days later Lucy made her to way to the cafeteria to grab something to eat with her friends. Ever since she had come back to the Academy at the end winter break she hadn't even seen Sean let alone heard from him. He hadn't even texted her even after she had told him that their relationship was over. It confused her. She knew that there had to be something that was going on through his mind, or perhaps he had just accepted that they were no longer together and moved on. She hoped it was the later but she figured it wasn't.

She hadn't even seen him on her way to class. She began to wonder if he even showed up to class anymore. She didn't mind, it helped her avoid the awkward tension she knew would exist between them. Though not once in the first week back. She kept repeating the thought in her mind. She didn't even see him eating breakfast, lunch or dinner. She never saw him in the cafeteria anymore. She knew that she shouldn't worry about it too much, but she just couldn't shake off the cold feeling she had in the pit of her chest.

As she walked down the wet pavement towards the main building she felt a sudden buzz in her pocket. She reached down to pull out her phone seeing that she had a text message from Levy. When she read the message she saw that Levy was telling her that she and the others had gone off campus to get something to eat and that she should join them. The message told her that they were eating at the deli on the main street facing the beach.

"That's weird," said to herself as she read the message over again. She didn't remember them ever planning to eat off campus. Was it a spur of the moment thing? Why didn't they tell her this before? "Oh well," Lucy sighed as she turned around.

Lucy made her way over to the deli. She texted Levy back asking her if everyone was with her, but she hadn't received a message back. She became a little more suspicious about what was going on. She made her way outside the gate to the snow covered null to the street. She stopped just shy of the road still staring at her cell phone waiting for an answer and yet she still received none. She texted Levy back again wondering exactly what was going on.

"Hello Lucy," she heard a cold voice from behind her say. She nearly jumped in place as she spun around to see none other than Damian standing right behind her with four other boys. In his hand was Levy's cell phone. He smirked as he lifted the phone up and gazed at it. "You certainly leave a lot of messages don't you Lucy?" he said raising an eyebrow at her.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked scowling at him. "And why do you have Levy's cell phone?"

"Never mind that," Damian said as he handed the phone to a boy with long spikey blonde hair. He had cruel yellow eyes as he eyed her carefully. Behind him were three other boys. She didn't recognize them, but they were Zancrow and his crew. "You and I have a score to settle."

"What do you mean?" She asked skeptically as she took a couple of steps back. Damian took a couple forward coming ever closer to her.

"You know exactly what I mean," he said. "You see no one embarrasses my family the way you did. So now we're going to have to even the score."

Lucy didn't know what to say but the boys took a couple of menacing steps towards her. She knew she couldn't run back to the school, they had blocked her off. Her only hope was to run out in the open street where people could see her and possibly help her. She made a dash running as fast as she could her feet barreling through the snow. It was all in vain, they were too close to her and they were too fast. In seconds she felt her self shoved to ground, her body lying flat in the icy cold snow. She could feel a couple hands grasping at her as they lifted her up.

She found herself being held up by the blonde haired boy and another hefty boy with long curly black hair. Damian stood in front of her but he motioned the boys to the side. She struggled and even tried to scream but before she could even make a sound a large hand clasped her around the mouth. She began to weep, tears streaming from her eyes as she watched them drag her to an ally way right behind a couple of buildings.

"In there," Damian said as the two boys threw her back down into the snow.

"HELP!" Lucy cried but the blonde haired boy kicked her in the chest. She cradled her legs to her chest trying to protect herself from any more blows the boy might strike her with.

"Shut up," Zancrow growled as he peered down at the weeping girl. "So Damian what do you want to do now?'

"You guys teach her a lesson," Damian said as he turned around to walk away.

"What you're not staying?" Zancrow asked confused. He wasn't alone all of the other boys were just as puzzled as he was. Neither of them said anything but they just exchange glances.

"No," Damian said raising an eyebrow at Zancrow. "I think I can trust you to take of this right?" Damian eyed Zancrow carefully. "I can trust you right Zancrow?"

Zancrow was at an even greater loss now. He didn't know what to say and he didn't know why Damian was giving him such a look. He didn't like it. It didn't feel right, like Damian was questioning him for some reason.

"No man you can trust me," Zancrow said. "Don't worry I got this."

"Good," Damian said though he still held his glare. "Make sure you do a good job taking care of her. I want the bitch to suffer. Nobody," he said raising a finger, except it was pointed directly at Zancrow, "betrays me or my family. Got it."

"Yeah got it," Zancrow nodded his head. Damian smirked as he walked away.

Once Damian had left Zancrow and the others turned their attention to the weeping girl. Lucy backed away sliding through the snow. The boys took a couple of steps closer to her. Zancrow led the way. As he peered down he noticed something in her hand. A cell phone.

"Give me that," Zancrow yelled as he ripped it away from her. Lucy tried to fight back but was kicked down by one of the other boys. Zancrow looked at it to see if she had called anyone or texted anyone. Fortunately for him she was about to dial 911 just as he managed to pry the phone away from her. "Now, now," Zancrow growled. "We don't want any unexpected visitors do we?" He glared at her before hurdling the phone into the brick wall shattering it.

Lucy felt her heart sink as she watched the shattered pieces of metal fall to the ground and disappear in the white blanket of snow. She backed up even more looking for an exit. There was none. She wasn't going to escape.

"Now let's get this over with already," Zancrow said cracking his knuckles. "We've already wasted enough time with you."

"Get the fuck away from her!" Zancrow heard a voice call out from behind him. Lucy immediately recognized the voice, and so did Zancrow. The blonde haired boy moaned as he turned around to see Natsu standing right behind him in the open ally way.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out. Zancrow glared down at her to silence her before turning his gaze back to the other boy. His companions stood by him, everyone's attention was focused on Natsu.

"You again?" Zancrow sighed rubbing his temples. "Do you always have to show up at the worse possible time?" Zancrow sighed over dramatically as he began to walk towards the pink haired boy.

"I said stay the fuck away from her," Natsu growled as he approached them. He was alone, but his eyes were full of rage and furry. He gritted his teeth. Lucy had never seen the boy so infuriated before, it practically scared her, but she was relieved to see him nonetheless.

As Natsu walked towards them he saw a couple of empty metal trashcans out of the corner of his eye. Just then Natsu made a grab for one of them lifting it up with one hand, swinging it as he did so. Zancrow was caught off guard, he hadn't even noticed the trash cans were there, but before he even had a chance to react Natsu struck him on the side of his jaw knocking the boy sideways to his knees.

After Natsu had struck Zancrow he brought the trash can back up, but this time he didn't swing it. He threw it at Rustyrose striking the boy square in the chest causing him to stumble backwards. Zanrow sat there lunched over on his knees grasping has his jaw. He could feel the blood coursing through his fingers as red drops fell down into the snow. He left his mouth a jar trying to quell some of the pain but it wasn't working.

While the other two were indisposed for the moment Natsu made his way over to Zoledo, the scrawny boy. He saw Kain making a motion towards him, but Zoldeo seemed to be caught off guard, more frightened by Natsu's sudden burst towards him while Zancrow was down. The boy attempted to swing at Natsu as Kain was only a few steps away lurching his own arm for a blow. Natsu ducked underneath it and through a jab into Zoledo's stomach. The boy coughed under the pressure of the blow as it caused him to bend over. After the jab Natsu used brought in his other hand and threw in an upper cut striking Zoledo right under the chin knocking the boy down.

It was then that Natsu felt the overwhelming weight and squeeze of Kain on him. The large was going in for a swing, but was unable to get a shot in after Natsu had ducked under Toledo. He grabbed the pink haired boy and squeezed as tight as he could. Natsu gasped for air, but brought his head back and head butted Kain directly in the nose. He felt the grip loosen, but it wasn't enough to free him completely. So Natsu just did it again, and this time as soon as his head collided with Kain's nose blood squirted out and sprayed on Natsu's face. The heavy boy managed to let go at this point grasping for his nose to stop the blood.

Natsu wasn't finished just yet. He leapt on top of the large boy, wrapping his arms around thick neck for a chokehold. Kain was too blind from the pain and blood to get at Natsu. He reached at him with one hand as he tried to bump him off in a furry of twists and turns. He even ran his back into the brick wall, Natsu gasped in pain as he felt himself squished between the bricks and the husky blab of fat. But still he held on, not letting his grip loosen for a second. Again Kain rammed his back into the wall, and again Natsu coughed as he felt the wind knocked from him, but still he held on. It was about another two rams before Kain had no more strength as Natsu felt him body bump into the wall right before Kain stumbled and fell down flat on his front.

Natsu rolled off of him. At this point both Zancrow and Rustyrose were on their feet. Zoledo was slow to get up, but he wasn't out yet. Zancrow held onto his jaw where Natsu had struck him. Blood continued to ooze from the opened wound. Rustrose ran towards him swinging his arm as he did. As Rustyrose swung his arm forwards Natsu stepped to the side grabbing him by his wrist and front shoulder slamming the boy into the brick wall. As Rustyrose collided with the wall Natsu kneed him in the chest and upper cut the boy in the jaw just like he had done with Zoledo Once the boy's head was up Nastu punched him in the cheek with his other hand knocking the boy down into the snow.

Zancrow was on him at this point as he punched Natsu in the back of the head and lower back. He then grabbed him by his coat and slammed the boy face first into the wall. He continued to punch him in the lower back around the kidneys as he tried to pin him in the brick. Natsu reached his arm around, wrapping it around Zancorw's neck giving his body a chance to turn around. Thought the blows still didn't stop. He felt punch after punch in his gut as Zancrow kept bombarding him.

Natsu leapt up wrapping his legs around Zancrow's body as he pulled him forward and down onto himself. Zancrow fell forward as Natsu managed to roll himself on top in the snow. He couldn't see but he didn't care, he just swung in a made furry as he managed to strike Zancrow in the eye but Natsu wouldn't be the only one to land a punch. Zancorw managed to punch Natsu on the side of the head causing the boy to stumble off of him. Natsu didn't waste time. He picked himself up. He got to his feet before Zancrow could pick himself up.

Just then Zoledo jumped onto Natsu's back grasping his bony arms around his neck. Natsu reached up and pryed the boys hands off of his neck and while still holding them he spun around and struck the boy in the cheek knocking him to the side. As Zoledo stumbled Natsu struck him in the gut and the face repeatedly to the point the boy just collapsed in place straight down to the ground. He was out cold as he laid there motionless.

Natsu then turned his attention back to Zancrow who took the opportunity to grab the same metal trashcan Natsu had struck him with earlier. He raised it up high and was just about to bring down on Natsu's head as the pink haired boy quickly shot in for a double leg as he picked Zancrow up and slammed in hard into ground. Zancrow dropped the can as soon as he hit the hard cement. There may have been snow on the ground, but not nearly enough to quell the blow any less.

Natsu took the opportunity to punch Zancrow as he was down. He was running out of breath, his movements had become slower, and he definitely noticed it. Though he could feel the energy drain from his body he could tell that Zancrow was also wearing down. Natsu managed to get in a few blows as Zancrow shoved his hand in Natsu's face in some attempt to hold him back. Zancrow's face was seeping with blood now. The once white snow beneath him had turned crimson with blood. Natsu's face wasn't all that much better. His left side was swollen, his eye almost completely shut. He could feel some blood dripping from his lips, but he didn't know if it was his blood or from one of the other boys.

Natsu brought his fist up one more time. He was incredibly sluggish taking deep breaths as he did so. Zancrow took this chance to knock Natsu off of him. The two boys were tired Natsu could feel himself getting gassed. Natsu did manage to get himself up first. Zancrow rose up to one knee glaring at Natsu. Natsu sagged over his own body breathing heavily glaring back at him.

Zancrow struggled to pick himself up dropping his head as he did so. Natsu saw that his head was down and lunged forward. Zancrow could hear the snow crunching under his feet as he lifted his head up. Just as his eyes were up Natsu swung his leg, just like he had practiced. His leg struck Zancrow directly on the cheek as the boy toppled over and lay unconsciously on the ground. After the kick Natsu couldn't even keep himself up as his legs were wobbling beneath him.

He struggled to stand as he turned to face Lucy. He grinned widely at the blonde girl as she instantly stood up and ran towards him. She dove into his chest sobbing all the while. Natsu struggled to hold himself up but he did so as he wrapped his arms around the crying girl. He held her tight as she wept deeply into his chest. Natsu hugged her even tighter, stroking her hair to try and help calm her down. She grasped onto him tightly, her grip ever the more firm as though she never wanted to let him go. Then again she never did want to let him go.

* * *

><p>Damian sat outside one of the local cafes over looking the pier. He sat with Teboo and the others enjoying a burger and soda. Since it was winter he opted to eat inside. He was laughing with them as someone brought up a dirty joke about one of the girls in their high school. As he took a bite of his burger he felt a vibration in his pocket. He lifted it up to see that it was Zancrow calling him.<p>

"Zancrow you calling me to give me the good news?" Damian chuckled through the phone. "I knew I could trust you."

"You son of a bitch," he heard someone growl over the other end of the phone. And just like that the smirk and happiness was zapped from Damian's face.

"I'm sorry who is this?" Damian asked raising an eyebrow. Everyone else around the table went silent. They watched him carefully wondering what exactly was going on.

"Who do you think this is?" Natsu growled on the other end. "I hate to tell you this but your boy and Zancrow are and his friends are unable to answer the phone. Maybe a few stiches and some bandages and they should be as good as new."

"Cute," Damian said as he sat back in his chair. "So you think that I had anything to do with this?"

"Well that's what Lucy told me," Natsu said. Damian's eyebrows went up. "She's fine by the way. You see I managed to get to her before any of your ass hole friends could even touch her. But I'm going to make this clear to you Damian. You're dead."

"Well considering our last encounter I don't think that you are in any position to make threats," Damian said sternly.

"It's not a threat," Natsu told him. "It's a fact. Let me make this very clear to you Damian. After what you just pulled I am going to look for you, I'm going to find you and I am going to fucking end you. You are dead. You better pray that I don't find you Damian. You better get on your mother fucking knees AND PRAY YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

Damian scowled as he listened to the younger boy. The other boys around him began to grow uncomfortable. "You seem to be a little sure of yourself don't you eh little man? Very well if you feel like ending this then just let me know when and where and we'll end this. I would more than love to send your pathetic little ass to the hospital again."

"Oh if you meet up with me again you won't need a hospital, you'll need a hertz," Natsu told him. "I'm not holding back and don't for a second think that I'm the same guy that you fought a few months ago. And now after knowing that you went after Lucy I'm going to fucking end you. I swear if I even see you or your shit head brother go near her again than I'm going to fucking destroy you. I will rain down an unholy fucking firestorm upon you. I will fuck you up so bad even your own mother won't be able to recognize your ugly face."

"Sounds nice," Damian said. "Well if that's the way you want to play it than how about you and I meet and have a little chat. I think I'm free on Wednesday at about three. So how does that sound to you?"

"Now we're going to end this. You and me, but I pick the date and I pick where you piece of shit. You'll be hearing from me in the future," Natsu said hanging up the phone. Damian held the phone up to his ear until he heard the ring tone before hanging his up himself.

"Well that was a pleasant conversation," Damian said as he placed the phone back into his pocket. "Still better than the phone calls I get from my mother though."


	45. Chapter 45

Natsu paced himself as he waited just outside the girl's dorm with Leo. Leo sat on one of the nearby benches as he watched the pink haired boy walk to and fro in anxiety. He sat back with his arms folded across his chest. It wasn't that he wasn't eager for the same news as Natsu, but he had other things on his mind, like what Natsu was gong to do about his own injuries. The boy's eye was almost shut closed, and his lip was busted. He wanted Natsu to go see the nurse or someone, but he refused until he found out how Lucy was.

Fortunately the blonde hadn't received anything other than a few minor bruises. She was in her room resting as Levy watched over her. Natsu brought her back after the whole ordeal to give her some time to himself, but he wanted to know exactly how she was doing. Even when they walked back to the dorms she was still shaking.

"Natsu relax," Leo told him as the boy walked by again. "Just sit down and be patient. She's all right I assure you."

"You don't understand," Natsu grumbled not turning to face him. "I know she's okay it's everything else that concerns me." As he continued to pace he noticed a familiar little greenish blue kitten walking towards him. He sighed as Happy eventually walked over to him purring gently rubbing his head against Natsu's leg. Natsu reached down and picked up the tiny cat before making his way over to the bench where Leo was sitting.

"You still haven't told me what happened," Leo said scorning him. He leaned forward eyeing Natsu carefully. It was unusual Leo hardly ever scorned anyone but this time he seemed to be serious. He cared for Lucy as well and he was just as upset at what transpired as Natsu.

"Okay," Natsu sighed as he sat down next to Leo. He began to pet Happy as the cat twisted and purred softly in his lap. It brought him some kind of comfort having Happy there. He wondered how the cat got out, but that was his cat. He came and went as he pleased without any concerns. He took a deep breath and turned so that his eyes met Leo's. "This is what happened."

* * *

><p>It was like any other day for Mira as she made her way out of the girl's dorm to the lunch room where she planned on meeting her friends like she always did. As she walked she bundled herself up in her school coat to help keep warm. She stood there shivering breathing heavily as a cold wind blew by her. She wasn't used to the cold weather no matter how long she lived in Magnolia. As she made her way to the cafeteria she noticed something strange. She saw Lucy walking past the main gate and out towards the null.<p>

Curious Mira decided to follow her to see what exactly Lucy was doing. She made her way to the corner of the gate and peaked out to see what exactly the blonde was doing. Her eyes went wide as she saw a group of boys surround Lucy. She became frightened as she pulled out her phone. Her first instinct was to call the police, but then something compelled her to dial someone else.

Natsu was sitting in the cafeteria with everyone else the cafeteria. He looked around the room wondering where exactly Lucy was. He knew that he shouldn't get too worked up about it. She was probably just running late, and it wasn't like she was gone for that long. He began to joke around with everyone else until he felt a heavy vibration in his pocket as his phone went off.

"Hello?" Natsu said answering it suddenly.

"Natsu?" Mira said over the phone. Her voice was frantic and full of panic. He could hear it as he became more serious.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked with concern.

"It's Mira. I just saw Lucy get jumped by a group of boys outside the main gate," Mira said breathing heavily through the end of the receiver. "You need to get out here in a hurry."

Natsu took no time. He said nothing to anyone but immediately sprinted out of the cafeteria. The rest of the group watched him leave Leo stood up to follow him curious as to what's going on. Natsu dashed out of the main lobby nearly knocking down anyone in his path as he burst through the door and out to the main courtyard.

Leo followed but noticed that Natsu did manage to knock down a girl with long blonde hair, green eyes and glasses. Leo ran by but suddenly stopped.

"Hey how's it going? My name is Leo how're you doing?" he asked as he reached his hand down to help pick her up.

"Evergreen," the girl grumbled as he stood up.

"Leo!" Erza yelled.

"Oh that's right," Leo said as he ran out to follow Natsu. But by the time he ran outside he had lost sight of the pink haired boy. "Ah crap," he sighed running his hands through his hair. "Erza is going to kill me."

Natsu ran past the gate where he saw Mira standing nearby. "Mira why didn't you call the police?" Natsu asked as he ran by her, still on the phone.

"I'm afraid that they're not going to make it in time," she answered him. "Please Natsu you have to help her. I'm going to call the police right now, but I'm worried they wouldn't get there in time to stop them from hurting her."

"Don't worry," Natsu said seriously, "I'm definitely going to save her."

* * *

><p>"So that's how you knew," Leo said as he leaned back in satisfaction. He was happy that he now knew exactly why Natsu ran off earlier. Erza had been yelling at him for losing track of the pink haired boy. "You know I was worried about you, especially when you didn't answer your phone. But it's good to know that you managed to get out of there safely." He gazed at Natsu and re-thought about what he just said. "Well at least you didn't get your ass completely kicked."<p>

"Thanks," Natsu growled.

Just then Levy walked out of the girl's dorm and made her way to where Leo and Natsu were sitting. Natsu stood up to walk towards her, forgetting that Happy was still in his lap. The tiny cat leapt from where he was resting into the cold snow meowing annoyed at his owner. Natsu paid no mind to the cat as he approached the small purple haired girl.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She's okay," Levy said offering him a reassuring smile. "She just needs some time to clam down."

"Good," Natsu breathed a sigh of relief. "That's all I needed to hear."

He stood there with her as Leo picked himself up off the bench and walked over to them. As he did so two police officers walked out of the girl's dorm followed by Ms. Grandine and even Makarov. They walked over to Natsu who took a deep breath as he saw them. Leo placed a hand on his shoulder and offered him a smile to calm him down. Leo knew that Natsu was worried about his fight off campus grounds and even though it was against school rules, Leo would be there to stand up for him no matter what.

One of the officers that walked up to him had a broad and thick black mustache and a wrinkled face like leather. The other was just as old with thick curly brown hair. Once outside he pulled a pipe out from one of his coat pockets and lit it. Grandine scowled as she watched him but said nothing.

"Natsu?" the mustached officer asked as he stood in front of the pink haired boy.

"Yes?" Natsu said.

"We talked to Lucy and her story matches yours. We'll find the boys responsible for this so don't worry. The best thing you can do right now is take care of her and get some rest. You should be proud because if it weren't for you this could have been a lot worse than what it was," Macao said placing a friendly hand on Natsu's shoulder. "So just sit back and relax for now, we'll take it from here okay?"

"Yeah," Natsu exhaled nodding his head.

"Well you boys take care then," Wakaba said as he breathed out a puff of smoke. "We'll get this all settled don't worry."

"Well be fine officers thank you," Leo said interjecting. "Won't we Natsu?"

"Yeah," Natsu said again. Leo began to grow some concern as he could tell that Natsu wasn't convinced that it would all be settled by the police.

"Well thank you boys and you have a good day," Macao said as he gestured for Wakaba to follow him.

As they left Grandine stood there scowling at Natsu, but she said nothing. Makarov walked over to the boys and patted Natsu on the side of the arm. "You did good boy," he said offering him a grin. Natsu grinned back but Leo could see that it was forced.

"Just make sure you don't get into any more fights young man," Grandine said threateningly. "We've already been more than lenient enough on you considering prior actions. Don't think that you'll be able to get off the hook so easily next time."

"Come now Grandine leave the boy alone," Makarov sighed. "He's been through enough today. Speaking of which I highly recommend you go see the nurse about your bruises."

"Okay," Natsu exhaled as he turned to leave. Leo could see that Natsu was still upset and so could Levy. Leo looked at Levy and could see that she was just as concerned for Natsu as he was. The orange haired boy breathed a loud sigh before following after the other boy. Levy said nothing as she watched the two boys leave. She hoped that Natsu would be okay, but she trusted that Leo would take care of it.

"Natsu," Leo said as he caught up to the boy. He saw that Natsu was not going to the nurse's office, but instead back to the dorms. "Natsu where are you going?"

"I got something I need to do," Natsu told him roughly as he entered into the boy's dorm. Leo didn't like what Natsu was saying as he decided to run after him. Eventually he caught up to him in the hallway and grabbed Natsu from behind.

"Natsu what are you planning on doing?" Leo demanded as he turned Natsu around to face him.

"It has nothing to do with you Leo," Natsu snarled as he shoved the older boy off of him.

"Yes it does," Leo said sternly as he held a firm grip on Natsu. "If you're planning on doing anything stupid than you bet your ass that it is something that I need to be concerned about. I get it Natsu I do. I know that you want to go after and get back at Damian and the others for trying to hurt Lucy, but to do so is just stupid. Don't let your eagerness for revenge get the best of you."

"I can't let him get away with this Leo. I can't," Natsu growled as he shoved the other boy off. "You maybe content with letting Damian get away with all of his shit, but I'm certainly not. Especially when they go after the people I care about. I'm going to get him back Leo, I promise you. I'm going to get this asshole back."

Damian glared at the pink haired boy. He attempted to stop him but Natsu swatted him off. "You don't think that I don't want to get revenge on Damian either?" Leo growled. "You don't think I want to make him pay for what he did to my friends? For what he continues to do to my friends? I do, and believe me Natsu I was just like you but I knew then I came to my senses."

"You mean you bitched out," Natsu snarled. "You let him get away with it. You let him get away with everything."

Leo seethed as he brought his hand up and punched Natsu on the side of the cheek knocking the boy over. Before Natsu had a chance to react Leo swung an upper cut directly in Natsu's gut before he used his forearm to slam Natsu up against the wall by the throat.

"There was nothing more that I wanted more than to get my revenge on him for what he did Natsu. I couldn't even sleep at night because I couldn't bear the thought of him getting away with all of his shit, but then Gildarts convinced me that violence and revenge weren't the way," Leo yelled as he put more pressure on Natsu's throat. "He showed me that allowing my hatred to brew up inside me was destroying me. I couldn't beat Damian even if I wanted to. To pursue it would have only caused more pain and it wouldn't have solved anything. Even if I did manage to beat Damian then what? What would it solve? Jellal and Mest were gone. My only chance was to continue to watch over and take care of my friends. You beat them, you won this fight, now let it go."

"I can't," Natsu croaked from beneath Leo's arm. "We both know that he never stops Leo. I have to end this."

Leo breathed a sigh and let Natsu go. He could see the distraught in the boy's eyes and understood that he was upset but perhaps it was better to not be so brash with him. He knew Natsu got emotional, especially when it came to his friends. Natsu had always been one to leap into action and prepare for a fight whenever possible. But Leo knew that this time it wasn't the right, or smart, thing to do.

"I'm going to fight him Leo," Natsu said determinedly. "I'm going to fight him whether you want me to or not."

* * *

><p>Damian sat outside the local high school smoking one of his cigarettes. He hardly ever smoked them and only ever did when he was stressed. Right now he knew that he was in trouble and what was going to come next. Though he chose to sit back and let things blow over. He sat there at one of the tables in the frosty air alone covered warmly in his black trench coat.<p>

He reminisced about the plan back in his head. He told Sean to steal one of Lucy's friend's cell phones while the girl wasn't looking. He remembered as Sean brought it up to him telling him that the cell phone he managed to steal belong to Levy, Lucy's closest friend. It wouldn't be difficult, just pay off some other kid to distract her long enough for him to grab he phone when it was out in the open and it was all done.

He called Zancrow knowing that the boy would answer. He wanted to make sure that Zancrow was the one to carry out the deed. He wanted to know just how much he could trust him. He hoped that when Zancrow followed through with the job that he could trust him. It gave him some comfort but it still wasn't enough. Now that Lucy had managed to get away he grew more worried.

As he sat there he saw a police car roll up just in front of him. He leered at it carefully knowing full well its purpose for being there. He just took another inhale as he watched two police officers walked towards him.

"Officers what can I do for you?" Damian asked sarcastically as he stuck the butt of his cigarette in some snow on the table.

"Cut the crap Damian," Macao said scolding the young boy as he approached him.

"You know why we're here," Wakaba said scowling. "And don't think that for one minute that you have a chance to weasel your way out of this like you've managed to before. We know that you were the one that planned the attack on Lucy Heartfilia."

"I don't know officers," Damian said smirking widely. "You see I was here with my friends who can all vouch for me. And as memory serves right I wasn't there. Besides none of my boys are ever going to sell me out anyways."

"Oh is that what you think?" Macao said smirking. Damian peered back up at him as he said that. "Well then I have bad news for you Damian." Macao leaned over smirking widely. "You see your boy Zancrow has decided to sell you out. He's ready to sing like a bird, and once he does talk then you and your family are going to go down."

Damian sat there silent as his eyes darted back and forth between the two officers. He scolded at them until eventually he began to chuckle. "You think that scares me? No," he said softly. "You see nothing is going to happen to me. One fucked up dick wade from the slums isn't going to take down an entire enterprise." Damian smirked as he stood up. "You got nothing on me. You don't scare me, and until you can come back with substantial evidence against me or my family then by all means fuck off."

With that Damian began to walk away, but he as firmly grabbed from behind by Macao. "Don't think that you're going to get away with this kid."

"Oh believe you me officer," Damian said shaking him off "there is no way I'm going down for some petty fight and assault on some stupid bitch. It's her word against mine and several others. And if memory serves right even her own father disowned her so don't think for a second that I'm afraid of some prissy blonde and her over eccentric pink haired boyfriend intimidate me."

Damian glared at the two of them before turning around to walk away. Macao and Wakaba watched him as he leaved and disappeared behind the building. He was furious. He didn't know if the cops were just messing with him to mess with him, or if they were being honest about Zancrow. He didn't know if he could trust them, but it did verify Nullpudding's pictures that he had received earlier. Now he had no choice but to take action he was hoping that he wouldn't have to take.

Damian pulled out his phone and called Teboo. "Hello?" Teboo answered through the end of the receiver.

"Teboo I need you and some of your friends to pick me up at the high school," Damian told him.

"No problem we're still here so just meet us outside," Teboo told him.

It wasn't long before Damian met up with the others. Teboo and a couple of his friends were waiting for him outside in the parking lot by a white pick up truck. Damian walked up and nodded his head at them as he got in. The other boys followed him. "Where to?" Teboo asked as he turned on the ignition.

"We need to make a stop first," Damian told him.

It didn't take long for them to drive downtown to the more run down areas of town. Teboo followed Damian's instructions as he came up to an old run down diner in the middle of the inner city. Outside the diner sat Zancrow and his gang of friends at a broken down wooden table. They munched on some fries as they watched the white truck park just up in front of them.

Damian stepped out of the truck with the others and made his way toward the table. Zancrow stood up to greet his friend with a wide grin, "Damian it's good to see you again man," but it instantly vanished the second he saw the serious expression on Damian's face. He began to wonder why exactly Damian was there. Damian never came to the inner city to see Zancrow or the others. He hardly ever came to see Zancrow, let alone come with some friends.

"Zancrow," Damian said sternly, "we need to talk." He gestured for him to follow him.

"Okay," Zancrow said as he followed him. Rustyrose, Kain and Zoledo stood up to follow them.

"Stay here," Damian ordered them as he led Zancrow behind the diner. "Teboo you and your friends stay behind too." The other boys complied as they sat down. Teboo and his friends watched as the two boys walked away from the rest. Everyone became uncomfortable as they could had a cold feeling about what was going on.

The two of them walked into an alleyway behind the diner. Damian kept his hands tucked away into his pockets as he looked back to make sure they weren't followed. Zancrow began to grow uncomfortable as he saw the seriousness in Damian's eyes.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Zancrow asked.

"This," Damian said as he pulled a manila envelop out of a pocket in his and tossed it to him. Zancrow raised an eyebrow as he peered from Damian to the envelop. He opened it and pulled some photos of him talking to the police.

"Where did you get these?" Zancrow asked nervously. He gulped as he looked back up to Damian.

"Never mind where I got them," Damian said sternly. "You see those same officers came by earlier telling me that you made a deal and were going to sell me out. Now I want to hear it from you. Is it true?"

"Look Damian I don't know what's going on here, but I wouldn't betray you," Zancrow said anxiously.

"I thought that too," Damian said quietly. He reached into his coat and pulled out a glock 19. His eyes were focused on the gun as Zancrow's heart felt like it was about to burst in his chest. He became terrified but Damian seemed to hold the gun with an eerie sense of calmness.

"Whoa Damian you don't need to do this," Zancrow said holding his hands up and taking a step back.

"No Zancrow I do," Damian said as he pointed the gun at him.

"You son of a bi—"

BANG


	46. Chapter 46

It was Friday night and Lyon invited Gray to the movies. The theater was located just a couple of streets down from the Academy in the heart of the marketplace near the boardwalk. The market place itself was small and circular with a giant Christmas in the center decorated in red ribbons, ornaments of various colors and lights. Around the marketplace were numerous shops with the movie theater located in the corner of the circle.

Gray made his way through the crowd of students, both local and Academic. There were some adults, but for the most part it was just young teens. Gray found it odd that Lyon would invite him to the movies, a gesture that the boy found odd until he ultimately realized what Lyon's intent actually was. When he arrived in front of the movie theater he saw Juvia standing there outside the ticket booth with Lyon.

"Hey Gray," Juvia yelled as she waved at the boy in delight. She nearly jumped up and down as a she gleamed a wide smile at him. Lyon stood there next to her, a wide smirk eminent on his face.

Gray frowned as he saw the two of them standing there together. He knew precisely why Lyon had invited him. It wasn't so much as to spend time with him, but rather to get a chance to spend time with Juvia. Gray could feel his chest stir as he walked closer to them. He tucked his hands deep into his jacket pockets trying his best to avoid their gaze. He couldn't meet their eyes.

"Hey guys," Gray muttered as he walked up to them. Juvia found her wide grin fade as she saw that Gray appeared to not be as happy as she anticipated. Lyon on the other hand wasn't too concerned with Gray. He walked up and placed a cool hand on Juvia's shoulder causing Gray to cringe. "I wasn't expecting Juvia to be here. Wasn't only supposed to be you, me and Ultear tonight Lyon?"

"Ultear had other things to do tonight," Lyon answered slyly. "I figured you and Juvia are close friends so, why not?" He shrugged acting like it wasn't a big deal. Gray leered at him threateningly, but decided to act like he didn't care.

"Well okay I guess if it's okay with you guys," Gray sighed. Juvia jumped with excitement as she wrapped her arm around his. He raised an eyebrow as he gazed at her. She had a wide smirk on her as she leaned in closely to him.

The three of them made their way inside. Gray entered with Juvia still wrapped around his arm while Lyon followed closely behind them. They made their way to the seats. Gray was the first to sit down, but as Juvia attempted to sit down next to Gray but was quickly cut off by Lyon as he took the seat. The girl stared at him and attempted to climb over and take the other seat next to Gray but found herself unable to climb over the two boys and reluctantly took the seat next to Lyon. Lyon on the other hand smiled at her as she took her seat and gave him a faint smile in return.

As the movie played out Gray saw Lyon holding Juvia's hand from the corner of his eye. He began to grow uncomfortable as Juvia seemed to be holding his in turn. Gray couldn't understand why he was becoming somewhat uneasy seeing them getting close but he just knew he didn't like it. He couldn't even concentrate on the movie that was playing in front of him. Not that he wanted to do that either, since it appeared to be yet another crappy romantic comedy.

After the movie the three of them made their way out of the theater. Juvia and Lyon were laughing and talking about the movie together while Gray followed closely behind them. He sulked and as they walked out of the theater and back into the crowd. It was very dark now, but there were still people walking around the marketplace despite most of the stores were closed.

"Well Lyon thank you for a lovely time but I think that Gray and I should be heading back to the Academy," Juvia said through a giggle. Gray heard her words and immediately looked up. He was happy to hear them, and seeing the expression of distaste on Lyon made it him feel all the better.

"Oh are you sure?" Lyon said disheartened. "I thought we could you know walk around some more."

"That's sweet but I really do feel like we should be going," she said shaking her head. "It sounds nice but I'm tired and it's late."

"Well okay then," Lyon sighed. "Well thank you for the lovely time."

With that Gray and Juvia made their way back to the Academy, Lyon watching all the while. He looked upset, but Gray couldn't help but smirk at him as they left; a smirk that Lyon did not find the least bit amusing. He glared at the other boy as he watched them leave.

Gray and Juvia walked down the street back to the Academy, but as they walked Juvia made a turn towards the pier. Gray stopped and watched as she slowly walked down underneath the boardwalk. She didn't say anything, nor did she look back at him. Gray watched her with a confused expression.

"Juvia," Gray called out to her. "Where are you going?"

"Come on Gray," Juvia called back to him giggling. She began to take off her shoes and socks. She began to run towards the water through both the sand and snow. Gray couldn't believe it.

"Do we really have to?" Gray asked sighing.

"Come on," Juvia pleaded. Gray breathed a deep breath as he followed her down onto the beach.

The night was full of stars and the only lights were some street lamps that were lit along the road and boardwalk. The beach was covered in snow and ice. The two of them were completely alone the only sound was the waves swaying against the icy sand. The stars and moon reflected off the surface of the still dusky ocean.

"Juvia why are we out here?" Gray asked as he watched her walk slowly towards the water. She stood there close as the foam from the waves washed up and brushed off the tip of toes. She turned around facing him with a wide grin and just then she took off her school coat and threw it back towards Gray.

Gray watched her as she kneeled down on her knees as she used her finger to draw around in the foam. She wore a bright blue dress that seemed to glisten brightly in the moonlight. It was a lot like her hair, but of a brighter color. To Gray it matched her perfectly and he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before that moment. Even though she did wear the school coat over it. He found himself blushing as he observed her. It was odd for him, in this angle she kind of look cute.

"Hey Gray come and join me," she said as she let her finger dance in the foam some more. He took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air from the sea. It was cold and refreshing sending a shiver down his spine, but he liked it. He then walked over and took a squat right next to her.

"Take your shoes off," she said softly. Gray groaned at her request. It was still the middle of January and there was snow on the ground. He never did mind the cold, in fact he rather enjoyed it, but he thought that her request might have just been a little too much. He didn't want to get frostbite. "Come one," she pestered him.

Finally Gray took them off allowing his feet to be soaked in the frigid sand. It was coarse and practically solid from the ocean's freezing water. Just then a large wave barreled down on the sand sending soaking their feet. Gray cringed as he felt the rush of the bitter seawater brush against his bare skin and feet. Juvia just laughed.

"You're crazy you know that," Gray tried to sigh but couldn't help but laugh. He gazed back at her grinning widely. He had never noticed just how cute she was. Sure the two of them were close, more so than he felt comfortable with albeit, but in that moment there was something about her. Maybe it was how he noticed her sincere smile, maybe it was the way the light reflected off of her, or maybe it was her laugh. He didn't know. He just felt a strong pain in his heart when he saw her.

Juvia stood up brushing off any sand that might have gotten on her dress. She stretched a bit before folding her arms across her chest. She was getting cold. A chilly wind blew by them causing the girl to clench up. Gray walked over behind her and gently wrapped his arms around the girl with his coat, concealing both of them behind the fabric.

Juvia blushed furiously. Her face scarlet red as soon as she saw the boy's hands around her waist.

"Gray what are you doing?" she asked frantically. She felt her body go stiff.

"Aren't you cold?" he whispered softly into her ear. She grew even more nervous as she felt his lips so close to her.

"I-I-" she stuttered as Gray leaned in closer to her, bringing her deeper into his coat. She didn't resist, she was too nervous to say or even react.

For a while the two of them stood there, the freezing water grazed their bare feet as an even chillier wind blew by them. Juvia's face was still a deep scarlet red until she felt her body turned around by Gray's hands until she was facing the boy. She felt as though she was about to burst as she realized that her lips were only inches away from his.

"What are you doing?" she whispered quietly as their eyes met.

Her eyes shot up as she received her answer. Gray said nothing, but instead brought his lips into hers kissing her softly. The girl felt her legs go weak and her heart race. She couldn't believe what was going on. She hoped it wasn't a dream, but the waves grazing her feet kept her in reality. She closed her eyes and leaned in further allowing the kiss to go deeper. She wrapped her arms around the boy's neck and brought him in closer.

* * *

><p>Natsu was still furious from what happened the other night. He was back in the workout room busy throwing strikes against one of the punching bags in the corner of the room. He was frantic and resilient punching until his arms were sore but he kept on punching. His half naked body was dripping sweat, as drops of water streamed down onto the blue mat beneath. His breath was heavy as he seethed with each blow.<p>

Finally he found his blows becoming weaker until his body finally gave out. He collapsed to his knees breathing deeply. The floor beneath him was soaked, as sweat continued to drip from his hair. His throat was dry and horse as he took a couple moments to catch his breath. Just then he heard the door of the room open up as Gajeel walked in.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu asked through his pants.

"I figured I find you here," Gajeel grunted folding his arms across his chest. He was still wearing his school jacket and uniform. "I came looking for you. It's Friday night and everyone was wondering where you are. So why are you here?"

"I just felt like training," Natsu grumbled as he stood back up. He wiped some sweat away from his eyes and began to do some light jabs on the bag.

"Natsu," Gajeel sighed shaking his head, "it's almost eight at night and you're still here. Don't you think that you should take a break?"

"No," Natsu growled. "Sorry but I'm still busy."

Gajeel knew that Natsu was still obsessed with fighting Damian and getting revenge against him. Natsu had been working vigorously both in practice and outside of practice whenever he had the opportunity. He was pretty much absent from his own life. He had even taken his lunch to the room just so he could eat right before he practiced. Something everyone began to notice.

"You need to take a break Natsu," Gajeel told him. "I understand that you're angry, we all are, but you've been neglecting everyone; your friends, and Lucy. You need to come back with me. Lucy's waiting for you."

Natsu stopped. He leaned against the bag letting his body sway with the momentum. He knew Gajeel was right, but no matter what he did he couldn't get rid of all this pent up anger. He wanted nothing more to do than lash out, and no longer how much time he spent punching the bag it didn't go away.

"I know," Natsu sighed. "I just don't know how I can get rid of this anger."

Natsu was lying. He wasn't just trying to release pent up aggression and hostility, but he also prepared for his hopeful fight with Damian. He told Leo that he was going to fight despite the boy's objections. Though Natsu was thankful that Leo had decided to keep the conversation just between the two of them.

Gajeel walked over to him, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. Something the boy never did before, and probably would never do again. "Come on man let's get going."

Natsu was reluctant but he complied, letting out a deep breath. He felt miserable and his body ached. He decided that perhaps Gajeel was right and made his way out of the room. He turned back to get one last look before finally leaving.

Just outside the gym Lucy was there with Levy waiting for both of them. The two girls sat on a small gray stonewall that lined the outside of the building talking to each other. When they saw the two boys walking out the greeted them with smiles and waves. Natsu shuttered as soon as he stepped out into the winter air, since he was still very sweaty from his private practice and his shirt was still soaked underneath his school coat.

The two boys walked over and kissed them on the cheeks.

"Wow you stink," Lucy chuckled pushing him away. "And you're soaking wet," she peered over him. "What exactly have you been doing?"

"Just practice," Natsu said offering her a subtle grin. He rubbed her arms gently.

"So should we get going?" Levy asked as she leapt down from the wall.

"You two go ahead," Lucy told them as she leapt down as well. "I have to talk to Natsu for a second."

Levy nodded her head and began to walk away, Gajeel right behind her. Lucy watched them walking away before she turned back to Natsu. She appeared worried and serious. Natsu became somewhat concerned about himself.

"So what's up?" Natsu asked.

Lucy breathed a loud sigh before staring at him in the eyes. "I'm worried about you."

"What?" Natsu chuckled. "Worried about me? For what?"

"Ever since that day you've become vacant," she told him. "I hardly ever see you anymore and when I do you don't seem to be you anymore. I'm really starting to grow concerned."

"I'm sorry Lucy," Natsu apologized. He hadn't noticed it before. He began to feel horrible about any possibility that he was neglecting her. He hated himself for not considering her feelings. He should have been there for her he should have been more caring.

"It's okay," Lucy said trying to reassure him.

She struggled with the event earlier still a little traumatized that there were other boys out there who actually wanted to beat her, but she was able to get over that fear after having a long talk with Levy. She remembered that Levy had nearly gone through a similar event earlier in the year when Gajeel saved her. The poor girl also suffered from it, but the thing that helped her was the comfort of her friends. She had done the same with Lucy and the girl got over the event rather quickly.

"I promise you Lucy," Natsu said taking her hand in his. He stared deep into her chocolate eyes. "I will always be there for you. I'm sorry if it seems like I've been vacant and gone for so long. I've just had other things on my mind."

"Damian?" Lucy asked, her eyes full of worry. Natsu said nothing, but he couldn't bare to look her in the eyes. Not now. "Natsu please," the girl begged as she brought herself in to hug him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Don't fight. Please just stop fighting. I don't want to see you hurt anymore. I don't want any more pain in our lives."

"Shh," Natsu tried to comfort her as he wrapped his arms around her. "I don't want you to be upset. And if you want I won't fight." Though Natsu knew that there was no truth to that promise. "I'll always be there for you and I promise that I won't let you down again."

"I know you will," Lucy said softly as she kissed his cheek. She still held her body against his. "I know you will." She pulled away offering him a sweet smile. "You know you really do stink," she giggled trying to break the tension.

"I know," Natsu said sarcastically. "Come on," he said taking her hand in his. "I'm going to go take a quick shower and then we'll spend some time together.

The two of them began to make their way back towards the main campus where the others were waiting. Natsu continued to think to himself about what he was going to do. He knew that he lied to Lucy, and even though she didn't want him to fight, he knew that he didn't have a choice. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach and in his heart he knew what he had to do. He was going to fight, he was going to break his promise to her and he hoped that she would forgive him, but he was going to finish this.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Leo stood outside of the pier. He had just seen Gray and Juvia pass by and was tempted to say hello, but he had his own reasons for being there. He gazed out into the crowd of people that were finishing up their night out, to kill some time.<p>

"Hey Leo," Jellal said roughly as he walked up to him.

"Jellal," Leo said happily yet still held a hint of seriousness in his voice. "It's good to see you again."

"Same," Jellal said. "Why did you call me out here? And how did you even get my number in the first place?"

"Ultear," Leo said shrugging.

"Of course," Jellal sighed throwing his hands in the air. He rubbed his temples in frustration.

"I called you hear because there's something I need to talk to you about," Leo told him. "Well not necessarily me."

"What are you talking about?" Jellal asked him.

"Jellal?" a familiar feminine voice said.

Jellal's eyes went wide as he turned around to see Erza standing there only a few meters away: her eyes just as wide as his, her mouth agape. There was silence, apart from the sound of the crashing wave. Leo watched as the two of them stared each other, his eyes darting back and forth until finally he decided that he would leave.

"Wait where are you going?" Jellal asked Leo as the orange hair boy made his leave. "Leo?"

"I'm going to fix things," Leo said to him. "I'm going to finally set everything straight."


	47. Chapter 47

"Jellal?" Erza exhaled as she stared at the boy across from her. Her eyes were still wide and her mouth agape. She began to walk towards him until she was only a few feet away.

"Erza I—" Jellal began to say but was interrupted as the red haired girl slapped him hard across the face. The loud echo of hand on cheek could be heard as Erza glared at him.

Jellal was a little shocked but soon he sighed, knowing that he probably deserved it. He turned to face her, her eyes full of tears as she fought to hold them back. A little drop streamed down her flushed cheek. Her fist shaking violently, but not from the cold

"You don't get to talk," she whimpered. "You don't get to say some stupid apology to me. You have no idea what you've put me through do you?"

"Then I don't know what to say?" Jellal sighed. He was really starting to hate Leo now; putting him in this awkward position with Erza. He wasn't ready. Then again he didn't know if he would ever be ready to see her again

"I want to you to tell me why you left," Erza wept. "I want to know why you abandoned me. Please just tell me."

"I couldn't face you after that night," Jellal told her.

"Why?" Erza demanded. "How could you not face me? Don't you know that I care for you? That I lov—" she didn't finish her sentence.

"I don't know why I left," Jellal told her. "I felt like I need to get away."

"You mean run away," she scowled. Jellal let out a deep breath. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps all he's been doing is running away.

Jellal peered into her watery eyes. "I couldn't bear to see you after that night. I just couldn't," Jellal breathed deeply. He wasn't even too sure why he left anymore himself. Was it to protect her? Was it because he was scared? Was it because he was still scared? He left with Mest. Maybe it was because he didn't want him to go alone. Perhaps he felt compelled to go with him.

"Then you were just a coward," Erza said scolding him.

"Erza," Jellal said as he reached out for her arm. Erza pulled away, her eyes scowling at him. But he wouldn't be denied, as he continued to reach out until he got a hold of her arm.

"Let go of me," Erza cried as she attempted to pull away from him.

"Never again," Jellal said as he pulled her in and kissed her. Her eyes shot up as she continued to resist.

She broke away glaring at Jellal panting. She continued to hold her glare as Jellal stared at her. He sulked, regretting what he had done. He thought that she had to hate him even more now. "You idiot," Erza growled. But then she grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him in for a deep kiss of her own. Now it was Jellal's turn to be surprised. She pressed hard, pulling him deeper and deeper into the kiss.

Once they broke away Jellal stared deep into her eyes. She finally had a smile on her. Jellal couldn't help but let out a wide smirk of his own. "You know that you're still a huge idiot," Erza told him.

"I know," Jellal said grinning at her.

* * *

><p>The day had finally arrived. The day that would end all of this. Natsu had looked forward to this day for a couple of weeks and now that it was here he couldn't help but feel a little excited. Granted he was a little nervous as well, but what did he expect? He was ready for this fight. He had been preparing for it everyday and he sure as hell wasn't going to allow what happened last time happen again. He needed to end this. He wanted to end this.<p>

It was Saturday and though there was no practice he made his way up to the practice room. There he began to punch the bag to warm up and stretch his muscles. Spring was coming and so was Valentine's Day, his first one with any girl and most importantly his first one with Lucy. He wanted to make sure that when they were together she would be safe.

After a while Gajeel made his way inside. Gajeel knew exactly what Natsu was doing there, and he wasn't one to let a fight go on without him getting involved. He was just as eager as Natsu to get back at the same people that had caused all this trouble. Plus he knew that Natsu may need backup in case any of the other local boys decided to step in.

"You ready?" Natsu asked as he finished with last punch.

"Yeah," Gajeel said nodding his head.

Natsu and Gajeel walked out and made their way up the path. It was about 11:30 a.m. and they were meeting at the pier at noon. It was still pretty cold out, snow still blanketed the ground with nearly a half a meter of snow. A cold chill filled the air. Natsu and Gajeel didn't wear their school coats, instead Natsu wore a thick red wool sweater as Gajeel wore a black trench coat with a sliver sweater underneath.

They made their way back up to the main gate where they saw Gray standing, leaning up against the wall waiting for them. "Hey," he said calmly as he pushed off the wall. "So we ready to do this?"

Gray had agreed to go with them, but he wasn't looking forward to fighting. He didn't want to fight with anyone, but he was there for moral support.

The three of them continued to walk towards the pier. Natsu had arranged this fight with Damian. He demanded that Damian show up alone or with only one or two friends. He knew that he couldn't trust Damian, and he figured that this was a set up. That's why he asked Gray and Gajeel to back him up.

When they approached the pier the saw a group of boys standing at the far end of the pier. There were about five of them, a good number for Natsu and Gajeel alone. Damian stood among them at the front. Natsu saw Sean there with his brother, something that didn't surprise him. The boy even wore his Academy uniform, something that Natsu hated. But the thing that caught his attention the most was that Zancrow's crew was there, but the blonde wasn't.

Natsu walked up to them, Gajeel and Gray next to him. Damian watched them approach, a cigarette in his mouth. But Natsu's eyes fell on Sean who stood there glaring at him. Natsu wondered why he was here, but he was sure that it had to do with him. Natsu couldn't help but smile as he thought about how great it would feel to punch the little shit again.

Damian stood there with the others behind him. Once he saw Natsu and his friends he began to walk towards them.

"So you showed up," Damian said as he smirked. Sean walked up next to his brother, with a smirk as well. Natsu hated seeing such a smug expression on the boy and he wanted nothing more than to knock him out.

"Did you bring it?" Natsu asked firmly.

"I don't know why you're so interested in it," Damian said as he reached into his coat and pulled out a gold chain locket, "but I did bring it. It's funny since I don't know why you want it so much. What does this have to do with you?"

"A friend of mine wants it back," Natsu growled. "So how bout you hand it over. Or I can take it from you. Your choice."

Damian let out a loud chuckle before placing the locket back in his coat pocket. After he had tucked it away he proceeded to take off the coat itself and threw it over to Rustyrose. Though it was still winter Damian only wore white tank top, revealing his rather large muscles. Natsu wasn't surprised. This boy had been training his entire life. But Natsu wasn't going to back down now, and he most certainly wasn't going to be intimidated by Damian's movements.

"So should we get on with this already?" Damian said as he adjusted his neck. "I have some more work I have to finish."

"Yeah and we have things that we need to finish," Natsu scowled. But unlike Damian he didn't take off his coat, something that puzzled the other boy. "But I'm not the one who's going to fight you." Natsu told him.

"Oh really?" Damian said a little confused. "Than who is?" Sean was just as confounded as his brother.

"He is," Natsu said turning around and motioning his head back.

Damian and the other gazed back to see someone approaching them. The boy was wearing a bright red sweatshirt with the hood up hiding his face. Damian became a little more skeptical as the local boys exchanged gazes of worry. Damian stood firm not allowing any fear take hold of him. It didn't matter to him, he was more than willing to fight anyone the Academy kids brought forward.

"And who is this?" Damian asked as the red hooded boy walked up next to the other boys.

"You know very well," Leo said as he removed the hood and stripped his sweatshirt off. Underneath the sweatshirt he only wore a white muscle shirt. Damian was a bit surprised to see his old friend standing right in front of him.

"So it's you," the boy said smugly. "You're going to fight me?" He chuckled but he could see that Leo was still serious.

"I'm going to do something I should have done years ago," Leo told him. "You've gotten away with so much and now it's over. I'm sick of you. I'm sick of you hurting my friends. I'm sick of you getting away with all the pain and suffering you've caused."

"And what might I ask as spurred this heroic feelings all of a sudden?" Damian asked.

"A conversation with some friends," Leo said. "Perhaps they showed me the light. The only reason I didn't take you out was because Gildarts told me not to. He didn't want to see me get hurt anymore. He was hoping that after what you did that night would end, but it didn't. Now you only cause more pain and more suffering."

Damian let out a loud laugh. "Oh sounds like I hurt your feelings." Damian walked up to him, his expression serious. "This wouldn't have happened had you people not betrayed me. Where were you when Mest was ratting me out. You were there, you were my friend, you should have stood by me, but you didn't. You act like I'm the bad guy yet none of you stood behind me."

"You are the bad guy Damian," Leo snapped. "What you did is unforgivable. You were out of control and we should have known. What happened to you? You used to be such a good person—"

"Don't lecture me Leo," Damian said jamming a finger in the boy's face. "I did what I had to do. When you have enemies you have to make a stand and send a message. That's what I did. And you know what? For the time I was there at the Academy how often were there fights between Academy kids and local kids? I brought power back to the Academy."

"You brought fear and pain to everyone Damian," Leo scolded him. "People couldn't even leave the campus grounds. You aren't some hero. You are a miserable piece of shit that put people in the hospital because you wanted to feel powerful. Now I'm going to fucking end you."

"Then let's do this," Damian said as he swung a punch straight at Leo's cheek. But the boy was able to duck and avoid it just in time. As he dropped down he brought in an uppercut and struck Damian in the side of the ribs. Then as he brought up a another swing striking the other boy in the side of the cheek knocking him to the side.

Sean intervened taking a swing at Leo when he wasn't looking. Natsu saw the motion and tackled Sean by the legs and pinned the other boy to the ground before he could hit Leo. Once Natsu had him down he raised his fist and struck him in the eye. The boy put his hand in his face, but Natsu grabbed his hand and pinned them to the ground. Rustyrose then ran over and kicked Natsu in the nose. Sean took the chance to get back up on his feet.

Gajeel then ran over and punched Rustyrose on the nose. Rustyrose's head went flying back as Gajeel proceeded to grab him by the shoulders and knee him in the gut. The boy lurched over clasping as his stomach as he tried to inhale a deep breath. Then Gajeel brought up his fist again and struck the boy in the temple knocking him over and out cold.

Kain ran over and pounced on Gajeel pinning him down under his weight. Zoledo ran for Gray but tripped over the boardwalk and fell face first in front of him. Gray raised an eyebrow, confused by what just happened. Zoledo struggled to get back up and his face was red with embarrassment. Gray sighed as he swung his foot around and kicked the boy so hard that his body rolled a few meters. The boy was out cold.

Damian took a swing at Leo but the boy ducked shooting for the legs, grabbing both and lifting Damian into the air before he quickly slammed him down onto the snow covered, ice hard wood. Damian let out a yelp, but soon wrapped his legs around Leo's neck in an attempt to suffocate him. He struggled he could feel his airway constricting and the blood rushing to his face. He managed to stand up, slowly Damian still locked punching him a top the head and then slammed him down again. Damian let go as soon as his body hit the ground letting out a loud gasp. He rolled on his back, it was numb now from the cold frost, but he crawled away while Leo caught his breath.

Sean swung his leg for a kick, but Natsu caught it and clenched it closely under his armpit. Sean tried to break free but Natsu had too tight of a grip. He raised his elbow and slammed it on the thigh. Sean cried in pain as he felt his leg give out from underneath him. He grasped at it as he rolled around in pain. He tried to stand up but then Natsu swung his leg, like he had done before and stuck the boy in the temple knocking him out as blood splattered from a gash that had form from his head. The boy fell to the ground unconscious. Natsu panted satisfied with his work. He knew it wouldn't take long for him to beat Sean. The boy was a push over. He wasn't a fighter, just a weak dog that liked to bark a lot.

Natsu saw that Gajeel was in trouble, he was suffocating under the large Kain boy. He immediately ran over and jumped on top of the hefty boy. "Get off!" Kain roared as he tried to throw Natsu from him. Natsu wrapped his arms around his neck, getting him in a chokehold like he had done before.

While Kain struggled with Natsu Gajeel took the opportunity to pry himself free. Once he was up he saw that Kain was still busy with Natsu. He stood up and cracked his knuckles. Kain's eyes went wide as he saw Gajeel's fist raised in the air. He raised one hand in the air as though to work as a shield, but it failed as Gajeel brought his fist down hard on the boy's nose shattering it and knocking him out. Even Natsu could feel the force of the blow from behind the blubbery mess.

Damian and Leo kept their fight up, but Leo could tell he had the upper hand. This wasn't the Damian of old. He was slower, sloppy and unconditioned. Leo raised his kneed up and front kicked Damian. The boy was too slow to counter it as the blow hit him in the chest. He lunched over and Leo grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the ground.

Leo got on top of him, repeating his barrage of punches on Damian's back. "What happened to you Damian?" Leo asked through pants. "You've become so weak. You're not nearly the fighter you used to be. You've become soft," he said as he grabbed Damian by the back of the head and slammed him face first.

A pool of crimson blood like red ink formed underneath the boys face and stained the snow. He twitched but swung around brining his knee to his chest and launching it straight into Leo's face, crushing his nose as even more blood flew out and dripped onto the ground. He stood up and grabbed Leo by the scroff of his hair and punched him in the cheek. He raised it for another blow Leo spun around on his back, sweeping Damian's legs causing the boy to tumble over.

Leo stood up and waited for Damian to get up as well. Leo's face was covered with bruises, his right eye was swollen and black. Damian was worse. His nose would not stop bleeding. Both his eyes were red from the blows they received. Blood coursed down his lips and specks of snow hung in the blood. Both panted, but Damian struggled to stay up.

"You really are weak aren't you Damian?" Leo chuckled. "These past two years you haven't been working out have you? You've only gotten weaker. It really shows. Pathetic."

"Fuck you," Damian roared as he sprinted towards him. He stumbled towards him. He swung for a punch but it was so weak Leo managed to grab it without difficulty. He then grabbed the elbow and twisting it, forcing Damian down to one knee as he seethed in pain. It was over Leo had him beat.

Natsu walked over to the spot where Damian's coat was lying in the snow. He reached down and pulled the locket from the pocket and placed it in his own. Gajeel and Gray meanwhile watched as Leo had Damian in the arm bar that he knew the boy might not be able to break out of.

What Natsu hadn't noticed was that there was a crowd of people beginning to form around them. Made up of adults and even students from the Academy and the local high school. He peered around but no one made the motion to get involved. He wasn't that beat up and he was thankful for it. He thanked the training and the time he put in to it. Without it he may not have been able to fight as well as he did. Neither would Gajeel or Gray, but he was still troubled by Zancrow's disappearance.

"Now let me make this clear to you," Leo said as he twisted the boy's arm causing him to wince in pain. "You're not going to bother anyone anymore. You and your family are going to leave everyone alone from now on. You aren't going to bother me, my friends or the Academy kids anymore you got that?"

Damian growled as he punched Leo in the groin. The orange haired boy fell over and Damian was ready for another punch. But before he could Natsu charged at him slamming him hard into the wooden railing. The boy let out a cry of pain as Natsu broke away form him. He then swung in for an uppercut striking the boy hard in the jaw causing him to topple over and plummet into the icy ocean below.

Natsu breathed heavily as he walked over and received a pat on the back from Leo. Both boys grinning widely. Natsu pulled out the gold locket and handed it to the older boy.

"Thanks Natsu," Leo said through his pants. He took the locket and placed it in his pocket. He gazed over and saw the crowd that was looking at him. Leo just shook his head and the four of them made their way back to the Academy. The crowd moved aside to let them pass.

As they walked towards the Academy two police officers stepped in front of them. Natsu recognized them immediately as Officer Wakaba and Macao. Wakaba smoked a pipe in his mouth.

"Hey officers," Leo said chuckling. He knew they were in trouble.

"Well that was a very interesting display you boys put on there," Macao said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"I know we're in trouble aren't we?" Leo sighed.

"What makes you say that?" Wakaba asked raising an eyebrow. "You boys helped us catch a crucial suspect in a murder case."

"What?" Natsu asked bewildered.

Officer Wakaba made his way down to the beach where Damian struggled to get back to land. He was on his knees arms wrapped around his body shaking violently. He was freezing.

"You see we just got word that Damian over there shot and killed his friend Zancrow," Macao said. "We finally got the chance to arrest him, but he has been alluding us. If you boys hadn't brought him out and caused this ruckus it would have made things a lot more difficult."

"Well we're happy to have helped," Natsu laughed jokingly.

"Now how bout you boys get a long and let us take it from here," Macao said winking.

"We told you we would get you one of these days Damian," Wakaba said laughing as he grabbed the boy and dragged him up to where the parked police car was. The boy was so weak he couldn't resist. His eyes peered through the crowd as he was lugged up.

"Don't think this is over Leo," Damian quipped. "This is far from being over I promise you."

"Is that so?" Macao said reaching into his police jacket and pulling out some photographs. Damian saw them as his eyes went wide. It was him holding the gun up to Zancrow just before he pulled the trigger and then another one of after he had killed him.

"Where did you get that?" Damian demanded as he was shoved into the back of the police car.

"Anonymous tip," Macao said placing the photos back into his coat.

Damian scowled when he heard the sound of someone whispering hey. He turned to see Nullpudding standing in the crowd of students and bystanders with a camera hanging around his neck. Damian became infuriated as he wanted to sprint and throttle the boy.

"How did you get those pictures?" he wondered to himself. He didn't know that Nullpudding knew that Damian would potentially go after his old friends if he thought they would ever betray him. Unbeknownst to them he had been watching them ever since the day he sold Damian those photos of Zancrow with the police. And it all paid off. He knew Damian was going to cheat him out of money, but now he got precisely what he wanted. Revenge.

"Well it looks like it really is over doesn't it Damian?" Natsu said tauntingly. Leo laughed as the boy just scowled.

"What about the others?" Gajeel asked.

"Them?" Macao said as he looked over towards the pier. A few people walked over to see if they were all right. "Nothing probably. That is unless they want time for not explaining the murder when it happened. Our photographer managed to get pictures of them on the site, so if they want to stay out of juvy, then they most certainly will testify against Damian."

"Good," Leo sighed.

"Leo?" they heard the sound of a boy. It was Jellal. He walked towards them swiftly. He was concerned by the cops and the state the boys. He was almost in shock. "What happened?"

"We were negotiating," Leo told him, a wide grin appeared.

"What?" Jellal asked as he peered at all of them. Gray was the only one without any bruises.

"For this," Leo said as he pulled out the gold locket. "I know that you've been wanting this for awhile now and I'm sorry it took so long." Leo handed it to him. Jellal was stunned to see it again.

"Leo," he exhaled. "You didn't have to do it."

"I didn't just do it for you," Leo told him. "I did it because I had to. Granted I'm probably going to get expelled now because of it but I think it was worth it. Damian is going away, for good this time."

Leo hadn't seen it, but Macao had taken his leave and joined his partner in the police car. Damian sulked in the back knowing that he wasn't going to be able to escape this time. He shut his eyes. He wasn't going to cry, he just felt like a failure.

"Thank you," Jellal said as he hugged his old friend. "Thank you so much."

"Now why don't you go and do what you've been waiting to do for two years now?" Leo laughed. "She's waited long enough."

"I know," Jellal said. A bright smile, one that Leo hadn't seen in years. One that Jellal himself had not felt in so long. "Thanks," he said as he placed it back in his pocket.

The boys made their way back to the Academy, the street still a buzz about what happened. Confusion as to what was going on and why the police had decided not to ask any questions is what drew most of the conversations. But Natsu and them didn't care. It was over, and now Natsu could just focus on living his life. He didn't feel like it was back to normal. He felt like it was better than it had ever been. They walked in silence no one uttered a word, and he knew that when he got back to the campus Lucy would be there waiting for him.

When they got back to the main gates they just walked on through. They could see the stares of other students who were shocked to see them walking back so casually despite the amount of blood and bruises they had. They didn't care. They made their way back to the dorms to wash up and change, that's all they needed to do.

Meanwhile Jellal stood outside the main gate waiting. He smiled brightly as he saw Erza approaching him. "Jellal," she cried as she ran over and embraced him in a deep hug. "You didn't run away this time."

"Never again," Jellal whispered into her ear softly. He held her close and tight. Never wanting that moment to end. It was surreal and peaceful. Something he had dreamt of for a long time, too long. "Though honestly it might take some time for me I just want you to have something. Something I've wanted you to have for a long time.

"What?" Erza asked skeptically. She raised an eyebrow as he eyes leered in closely at Jellal.

"Here," he said handing her the locket. She smirked peering down at it and back at him. She opened it to see a picture of them when they were kids. She couldn't help but giggle. "Erza," he said taking her hands in his. "I think we should start dating."

"That's how you ask?" she blurted out in laughter. She couldn't control herself, and Jellal just gazed at her in confusion. He had never seen Erza act like this. Heck he didn't expect her to act like this. Not right now, not in this moment. "That was horrible!. "If you're going to ask, do it right."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Jellal said shocked.

"Like this," she said grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling him in for a deep passionate kiss. She pulled him in deeper as "I love you," she gasped between breaths.

"I love you too," he said holding her tightly. "And I'm never leaving you again."

* * *

><p>Leo made his way back to the main office building. He could feel and see most of the stares that came his way. His face was battered and still freshly wounded. He didn't go to clean himself up like Natsu and Gajeel did. His wounds were still bleeding and he did nothing to conceal his enormous black eye and crushed nose. He didn't care. He still wore his tattered blood soaked tank top and carried his sweatshirt under his arm. He didn't want to put it on in case he got blood on it, but seeing as how he was bleeding so much anyways it didn't seem like it was going to be much of an option.<p>

He began to hear whispers and some people even began to talk about the fight. Word spreads fast, but it was Saturday what else were the students supposed to do? He didn't care. To them they were words of admiration. They were words of encouragement and congratulations. He felt good about himself.

He made his way to the cafeteria. It was well past one by now, and he knew that the person he was seeking was there. He continued to make his way over. He liked the attention, especially from the girls. After all chicks dig scars and right now he was a giant pussy magnet. Or so he thought.

He made his way into the cafeteria to a large table near the back. There sitting was Gildarts, Grandine and Makarov along with half the other faculty eating some lunch. Grandine was the first to spot the orange haired boy.

"Oh my god," she gasped her eyes going wide. Everyone turned to see what she was looking at, as all their expressions became the same once they saw Leo walking towards them.

"Leo?" Gildarts said standing up. He faced the boy placing his hands on his shoulders, his face full of worry and concern. "What happened to you?"

"Don't worry about it," Leo said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his prefect badge.

"What do you mean don't worry? Look at you!" Gildarts said in astonishment He peered at the boy examining his wounds He turned back to the other faculty and they were still in shock over Leo's appearance.

"Let's just say that a problem that we've been having for a very long time is over," Leo told him. "We don't have to worry anymore."

"Leo what are you talking about?" Gildarts asked skeptically.

"Like I said don't worry," Leo told him and tossed the badge on the table. Gildarts and the others watched as it bounced near their plates before finally sliding to a halt.

With that Leo took his leave. He said no more. He had finished what he had come to do. Now he would make his way back to the dorm to get cleaned up. Plus the admiration of the entire school didn't hurt either. He could hear the teacher muttering amongst themselves, but Leo didn't care. It was finally over and now the one thing he needed to do was fine a date for Valentine's Day.

Natsu finished cleaning himself and made his way out to the back of the Academy near the gym. He was supposed to meet Lucy there. When he arrived he saw her sitting on the wall alone watching a couple of blue birds fly around in the trees. He couldn't help but feel a sense of joy as he walked up to her. She was radiant as the winter sun glistened off her hair. Her chocolate eyes gleamed like polished gems. He had always known she was beautiful but at that moment she was like his own personal angel.

"Lucy," Natsu whispered her name as he walked toward her. She looked over at him with a wide smile as she heard her name. But that smile would soon fade as she saw Natsu's swollen eye and bruises.

"Oh my god Natsu what happened?" Lucy gasped as she ran over to the pink haired boy. She reached her hand up to touch his cheek. He just smiled at her as he took her hand in his and kissed it. "You look terrible."

"Don't worry," he said as he embraced her in a hug. "It's finally over," he said softly. He couldn't help but smile, but Lucy didn't looked convinced. She was still worried about him. He was covered with wounds from the fight, and she had no idea what he had been doing. He hoped that he got off all the blood, at least he was certain he did.

"What do you mean it's over?" she asked holding him tightly. She didn't want to break away from him. She hated seeing him in such a state. It made her scared. She didn't know what happened, but she never wanted to see him hurt or in pain. Natsu didn't seem to mind it all too much, but she couldn't help but grow concerned.

"Everything," he said. "Now it's just us and our friends. There's nothing to be worried about anymore. Nothing that will try to hurt us or keep us apart."

"Natsu what are you—" she was cut off as Natsu pulled her in for a deep passionate kiss, one that caught the blonde off guard.

"I told you," he said smiling brightly, "don't worry." With that he kissed her again. A fuel of passion burned in side of him as he held her there in the snow under the trees. Nothing could make him happier than he was in that moment. He had won, and he had won the greatest prize any man could ask for.

**10 YEARS LATER**

It had been ten years since Natsu had returned to his home in Magnolia. He walked back up on to that hill that he would spend so much time as a kid with his friends and people he cared about. He walked up through the sand where that same old palm tree still stood perched over looking the beach and the ocean. The sun was setting and the sky light up with a shade of bright orange, like a blooming flower in the beginning of spring.

Ten years had been good to him. He appeared relatively the same as far as appearances went, but he had changed. He had aged, that was certain, but he had grown taller as well. A stout and proud man he was. His hair was still the same as he wore it since he was a teenager, a little long and spikey, but neater kept. Though it was the summer he still wore his onyx colored business suit, yet he relieved himself of the coat. It was far too hot for him to be wearing it anyways. But he loved the summers here nonetheless.

He peered out at the sunset reminiscing to when he was a child. He cold see some other children playing in the sand and water. They reminded him of himself when was just a boy. They reminded him of all his friends. He couldn't help but smirk. He rested his hand against the tree watching all the while until he soon felt the gentle touch of a soft familiar hand on his shoulder.

He took it in his and kissed it gently as a tall blonde woman walked up beside him. She wore a long creame colored blouse and jeans. Her hair was long and blonde like sweet honey that blew in the gentle sea breeze. In her arms she held a small bundle of white sheets and nestled it gently against her bosom.

Natsu leaned over to pull the sheets aside to reveal a beautiful baby boy sleeping gently in his mother's arms. Natsu kissed the child on the top of the head. He stirred but did not awake from his slumber. Natsu smiled as he placed the sheet back up on top of the baby's head and rose up to kiss his wife.

"How's he doing?" he asked as he rubbed Lucy's arms and held her close.

"He's been asleep for most of the day," she whispered. "We should probably get going anyways. Everyone is waiting for us." Natsu didn't care. They could wait just a little bit longer. He was enjoying this moment with her, and their child. His family. He couldn't have been happier.  
>"Okay," Natsu whispered back as he kissed her one last time. He knew she was right, and one way or the other she was going to drag him away.<p>

They walked down the hill, Natsu just behind his wife. The two of them made their way to the bottom of the hill, Lucy being ever so careful with her son in her arms, Natsu following closely keeping his hands on her hips to help her. When they arrived at the bottom Lucy continued to walk away, but not Natsu. He smiled as he watched his family leave, but he wanted to take one last moment to look back at the hill, the once proud palm tree now withering away from age. As he gazed up at it he realized that maybe that hill wasn't as big anymore.

**THE END**

**A/N: So that's the end of this story. Hoped you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Let me know what you thought of the final chapter and the story overall. Any comments, questions or concerns I'm more than happy to oblige. Any opinions are welcomed too. Perhaps a sequel?**

**Anyways thank you all from the bottom of my heart for dealing with me for so long. Again I hope you all enjoyed reading it because I certainly enjoyed writing it.**


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